


Total Drama Island is Bad, Actually.

by Skyhigh_Imagination



Series: Total Drama Is Bad, Actually [1]
Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: Rewrite, Total Drama Is Bad Actually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 50,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22061446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyhigh_Imagination/pseuds/Skyhigh_Imagination
Summary: Here's the deal, Twenty-Two campers have signed up to spend Eight weeks at the crummy Camp Wawanakwa. They'll compete in challenges against each other, then have to face the judgment of their fellow campers. After every challenge one team will either win a reward, or lose a team mate. In the end, only one will be left standing. The winner will be rewarded with cheesy tabloid fame and a small fortune, which they'll probably blow within a week. They'll have to survive Black Flies; Grizzly Bears; Disgusting Camp Food; And.... Each Other.Who will Crumble under the pressure?(This is part one of my full series Rewrite of Total Drama! I hope You Like it!!)
Series: Total Drama Is Bad, Actually [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587886
Comments: 77
Kudos: 89





	1. Not So Happy Campers pt 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to tumblr users indigosplat and dontkillhimyouclown, Who let me bounce ideas off them and helped me when I got stuck!! You guys are the real MVP's!  
> Also Shout-Out to kingoftheladybugs, whose constant enthusiasm on all of my posts regarding the rewrite did wonders in motivating me!  
> You're all wonderful, and I couldn't have done it without your support!!! I hope you guy's enjoy the final product!
> 
> ALSO!!!!!!!  
> Chapter's one and two will have a lot of similarities to the original, BUT!!!! As the story progresses the changes will be more frequent and apparent!!  
> Also Also, I'm always open for constructive critique, so don't be scared to tell me what I did wrong(or Right!)! I strive to do better and criticisms could be a big help in achieving that goal! It's also OK to give simple comments! Feedback overall is greatly appreciated! Thank You All So Much!!  
> I Hope You Enjoy!

It was a beautiful summer day on the less than pristine shores of Camp Wawanakwa, as a middle aged man strutted along the dock, followed by a camera crew. 

The man flashed a charismatic smile at the camera, seemingly just coming back from a commercial break, “Welcome Back, to Total Drama Island, with me, Chris McClean.” Chris winked at the camera before he continued.

“It’s time to meet our campers!” Chris turned to give an aside to the camera, “We told them they’d all be staying at this five-star resort, so if they seem a little Peeved,” He winked, “That’s probably why.”

As he said this a fabulous white boat with golden trimming pulled up, dropping off a short girl with large glasses and an even larger, brace filled, smile. Her short brown hair was tied back into stubby pigtails, and she had two barrettes keeping loose hair from falling in front of her eyes. She had green overalls with a little pink heart on the pocket, which she wore over a lighter green shirt that had round sleeves and pink lines crisscrossing down. Her sturdy brown boots with pink souls plopped down on the dock as she took in her surroundings. 

“Beth,” Chris greeted, “what’s up?”

Beth ran up to the host, beaming, before pulling him into a hug, “It’sth tho Incredible to Meet You!!!!” She let go, taking a good look at Chris before saying, “Woow, you’re much Shthorter in real life.”

Chris dusted himself off, as he grimaced at this enthusiastic teen, “Uuuh, thanks.”

The camera then switched to a pasty teen stepping off another boat. She wore a baggy black shirt that was tucked into a green skirt with bold black stripes. The t-shirt had a simple graphic of a tomb-stone with the letters ‘R.I.P’ arced above it; it was also placed over a long sleeve turtleneck with black and blue stripes. She wore clunky black boots and an even clunkier belt which brandished a large skull as the buckle. She had a lot of mascara, presumably on both eyes; not that you could tell, since she styled her Midnight Blue and Black bangs over her right eye. She wore opaque fishnet stockings, but the most notable thing she wore was a blue painted scowl fixed onto her face. 

“Hey, Gwen.” Chris greeted.

Gwen looked around, “You mean we’re staying  _ Here _ ??”

“No.” Chris shot a point at Gwen and winked, “ _ You’re  _ staying here! My crib is an air-stream with A.C. That-a-way!” he dramatically switched his point from the goth to the vague direction of his ‘Crib’.

Gwen crossed her arms, “I did  _ Not  _ sign up for this.”

“Aaactuuallyy,” Chris pulled out a giant stack of papers, “You Did.” He smirked.

Unimpressed, Gwen snatched the contract from the smug hosts hands and ripped it above her head in an impressive feat of strength. Chris watched on with interest, as she released the now ineffective contract into the polluted waters below. 

Gwen looked to Chris, proud. 

Pride that shriveled up as Chris explained, “The great thing about Lawyers is,” He took out another packet, a cocky grin enveloping his face, “They make  _ Lots  _ of Copies.”

Chris waved the new contract in the Goths face, as she contemplated her situation. Deciding this place sucks, she turned away, grabbing her bags, “I Am  _ Not _ Staying Here.”

“Cool,” Chris started, “Hope you can Swim though.” Gwen ignored him until she met eyes with her boat, driving away. 

Chris smirked, “ ‘Cause your Ride Just Left.”

The boat then let out a mocking honk, as it’s former passenger watched miserably on.

Gwen's scowl returned to her face, as she turned gruffly back to the others. Her head ducked low to avoid having to interact any further. As she stomped past Chris she muttered a hateful “ _Jerk.”_ , which the Host seemed unbothered by.

Gwen took her place by a waving Beth, ignoring her.

The Mood changed abruptly as everyone was shocked by an excited “WOOOO HOOOO!!!!”

The cameras hastily moved to catch the newest arrival, a tall and bulky boy, with messy blond hair and enthusiastic dark green eyes. His smile was enormous and lopsided, crooked like his nose. He proudly wore a t-shirt with a Canadian hockey team logo on the front, and light blue, baggy basketball shorts. His haphazardly tied green sneakers landed with a rumble on the wooden dock.

The boy swung his arms open, smiling as large as his face would allow, “CHRIS!!” he greeted, “WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ ?!?!?!” He paused as a giggle trickled out of his mouth, “THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! WOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!” He bellowed pumping his fist up in celebration.

Chris smiled before attempting to match the boy’s enthusiasm, which is probably impossible, “OWEN! WELCOME!”.

Owen then excitedly lifted Chris up into a hug, one that was far too tight if the audible crack was anything to go by. “Awesome To Be Here, Man!” He tried to find the right words to continue, “Man, This Is Just So….. So…..!”

Gwen rolled her eyes as she looked over at the new guy, “Awesome?” 

Pleased with this word choice, Owen continued, “Yes! Awesome!!” He then shouted a celebratory “WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

He looked over to Gwen, beaming, “Are You Gonna Be On My Team??” He asked, hopeful.

Gwen let her eyes roll once more as she gave her sarcastic soaked reply, “Oh, I sure Hope so.”

Owen’s smile somehow grew larger as he let out an almost sing-songy, “WOOOOOOOOOO~”

The long forgotten host looked to Owen with his face twisted in annoyance, “You about finished?”

Owen gently placed Chris back onto the dock, “Sorry, I’m Just So Siked!!” 

“Cool,” Chris said dismissively, “And here comes, Noah!” 

Going from Owen to Noah was like whiplash. 

Noah is small and thin, only taller than Beth so far. He looks like a strong breeze would blow him over, which may be why he thought it appropriate to weigh himself down with three different layers. The first layer was a maroon sweater vest, a bold move for June; the second was a blue green short sleeved button up, which he had indeed buttoned all the way up; finally he had a long sleeved white shirt, and honestly, I’m getting heat stroke just looking at him. He has dark brown hair, cut short and carefully combed, with small bangs swooping across his five-head. Overall his look screamed _‘I Don’t Want To Be Here_.’ Not due to any of the clothes he felt necessary to pile onto his small frame, but rather how his face often rested in a look of indifference. 

Noah approached Chris, “You got my Memo about My Life-Threatening Allergies?” 

Though the question seemed important enough to stop for, Noah did not make any moves to do so.

“I’m Sure Someone Did!” Chris replied, as he watched Noah take his time across the Dock.

“Good.” Noah looked around, “Is this where we’re Staying?”

“That’s Right!” Chris gleefully replied, “The Beautiful Camp Wawanakwa will be your Home for the next Eight Weeks!”

Noah stopped and looked over to Chris, disgusted, before his signature look of disinterest returned, accompanied by rolling eyes, “Oh good," his reply was already saturated in sarcasm, “Just how I wanted to waste my Summer. Lounging in Rotten Cabins in the Middle of Nowhere Muskoka.” He twirled his finger in the air, “Woo-Hoo.”

Owen smiled at Noah, completely unphased by his obvious insincerity, perhaps he was too excited to notice, “I Know Right!!” he grabbed the smaller boy in an enthusiastic hug, much to Noah’s dismay, “Isn’t It AWESOME!!”

Owen let out a happy chuckle while Noah squirmed out of the hug. As Noah successfully escaped he cocked an eyebrow, before commenting, “Not the Sharpest Fork in the Kitchen, Huh, Tubby?” 

Before anyone could respond, Chris announced the arrival of the next camper, “Hey Everyone!” He gestured for the cameras to look towards the lake, “Izzyyyy!” 

Arriving was an excited freckle covered girl with a sort of manic energy over all. She wore a green baseball tee, that she seemingly tore the sleeves off of, with a lime green triangle in the center, and green flannel tied around her waist. She had olive green pants, or at least they  _ were _ pants until she tore them into shorts. Her long orange hair was tied into twin braids that ended in puffs of curls. 

Izzy waved excitedly, “HI CHRIISS!!!” Running down the boat her bare feet smacked against the floor as she continued to wave, “HI!!! HIII!!!” 

She then lost her footing causing her to topple over the gold railing of the boat. Izzy then slammed her chin against the Dock of Shame, and plopped into the water.

Noah tried to stifle a laugh, but there was no hiding the snicker that escaped his lips. Beth shot him a dirty look as she ran over to Izzy’s aid, “IT’STH NOT FUNNY!” Her voice softened as she bent over the edge of the dock to reach her “Sthe could be Really Hurt!” 

Beth pulled Izzy onto the dock, with surprising ease, “Hey, are you OK?”

Izzy violently shook the water off herself, before saying, in a sort of daze “That.. Felt soooooo….” She then hopped to her feet, grabbing Beth's shoulders as she spoke, “GOOD! Except for hitting my chin,” She let go and looked around, green eyes darting wildly as she took in her surroundings, “Is This Summer Camp? That’s So Cool!!” She ran up to Chris, “Do You Have Papier-Mache Here?? Are We Having Lunch Soon!?”

Owen pointed at the newest camper, “That is A Good Call!!”

Chris gestured for everyone to calm down, “We’ll Have Lunch once everyone gets here, and settles in.”

Yet another boat pulled up, dropping off yet another camper. This one was a tall girl with long styled blond hair and curious blue eyes. Her short dress puffed out at the skirt, the color matching her eyes, and it had a sash wrapped around the waist that was a brilliant red. She wore cowgirl boots decorated with stars, which added to her height. 

“Everyone,” Chris called, “This is Lindsay!”

Lindsay waved to everyone, “Hiiiiii,” her eyes landed on Chris, causing confusion to fill every inch of her face, “Ok, I totally know you from somewhere?”

Chris gestured to himself proudly, “I’m Chris McClean!”

It didn’t seem to jog any memories.

“The host of the show?”

Lindsay gave him an apologetic look as she shrugged.

Chris looked at her in disbelief before continuing, “Total Drama? The Show You are  _ Literally  _ On  _ Right Now??” _

You could almost hear the click as Lindsay's face lit up in recognition, “OH!” she wrapped her arms around him in a small hug, “That’s where I Know you from!” she broke away from the embrace, “It’s So good to see you again!”

“Uh, right.” Chris tried to shake off the encounter before the next boat arrived.

The sound of wedged sandals clicking against the wood caught everyone's attention as the camera panned over to the newest arrival.

She had long raven black hair, and she wore a garnet red blouse that sat off her shoulders and had black stripes. This top was tucked into a green skirt that stopped above her knees, and was held up by a black belt with a circle buckle in a similar color to her blouse.

She’s wearing sunglasses that are tinted with a gradient of black to red, and as she looked to the other campers their reflections shone off the glass. 

Removing her glasses carefully and placing them on top of her head, she gave the others a sweet grin, before being introduced by Chris, “Heather!” 

“Hi, Chris,” Heather made her way to the host before giving him a polite hug, “It’s so good to Finally meet you!” She pulled a way, looking at him before continuing, “Wow! You look So much more Handsome in Person!“ She then switched her focus to the others, and opened her mouth to speak to them before being interrupted.

“HI!” Beth ran up to Heather, wrapping her in a tight hug, “Looksth Like we’re your new Friendsth for the Next 8 weeksth!!”

With each ‘S’, Beth sprayed spit into Heather's face, causing the taller girl to flinch away. For a moment, Heather's previously sweet face twisted into a scowl, before catching herself and returning to that pleasant smile, “Oh,Yay!” She then, somewhat reluctantly returned Beth's hug, “I literally Can Not Wait!”

Gwen's scowl deepened, “Uhg, Kill me now.” 

Beth led Heather to the others, where she was greeted by yet another hug, this time from Owen, and a happy wave from Lindsay. Gwen and Noah didn’t acknowledge her presence as music filled the air with a Pumpin’ Party Beat.

The source of the music was the next boat, whose arrival was dancing along to the sound. His blond hair was tied into an extremely loose ponytail, that honestly didn’t seem to be doing anything useful. He wore a cowboy hat and a pooka necklace. He had a pink tank top with a sunny graphic on it under a darker pink button up shirt, that has probably never actually been buttoned up. 

He looked up as the boat stopped at the dock before excitedly flipping over the bars. As he landed the boat men tossed him his things to which he replied with a thankful thumbs up and a large smile. 

He then brought his attention to the host, smile unfading, “Chris McClean!” he approached Chris with the intention of sharing a bro-fist, “It’s an Honor to meet you, man!”

Chris happily bumped fists with the newest arrival, “The Geoff-Ster! Welcome to the Island Man!”

“Thanks, Man.”

“They say ‘man’ one more time,” Gwen looked to Noah, “I’m gonna puke.” 

The nerd nodded in response, as Geoff came over and offered high fives to the rest of the campers. Surprisingly, none were turned down. Probably because each one was accompanied by an award winning, charismatic smile that hasn’t left his face since he stepped onto the Dock. 

Chris continued to do the whole hosting thing, “Contestant Number Nine!” he gestured towards the next boat, “Trent!”

Stepping off the boat, guitar case in hand, Was a cool looking boy with long, coal black hair. He wore a leather jacket with a camo hand-print patch on the back and the collar popped. Trent also had a plain green t-shirt on, and black jeans. Around his neck were copper dog tags, one with his name, and the other with the number nine. 

Trent strolled up to Chris, extending a fist to be bumped, “Hey, good to meet you, man.” Chris excepted the bump, “ Saw you on that figure skating show. Nice work, man.”

Chris shined a huge smile, “Thanks, man.” he continued proudly, “I Knew I Rocked That Show!”

Beth then interjected, excitedly, “Oh! I Thsaw That!” Her tone then became more serious as she explained, “One of the Guyth Dropped Hith partner on her Head. They got immunity that week.”

Lindsay’s face lit up as she looked to Beth, “Lucky! I hope someone Drops me on  _ My  _ Head!”

Beth looked up to Lindsay, returning her smile, “I would Totally drop you on your head tho you could get Immunity!”

Lindsay bent down to excitedly grasp Beth's hands, “Oh My Gosh! That’s SO Nice Of You!!”

The two exchanged bubbly grins, as Noah rolled his eyes and spoke, mainly to himself,  **“** Something you two  _ Excelled  _ at as children, I’m sure.”

Noah thought he said that quietly enough so that no one would have heard, but was proven wrong by the soft chuckle accompanied by a playful nudge. He looked up, already brandishing a proud Grin, to see Owen smiling down at him.

Trent waved at the others before taking a spot next to Gwen. He gave her a kind smile, which she turned away from. Though she couldn’t hide the small glance she shot his way and the genuine smile that followed.

“Our next Camper is…. DJ!” Chris gestured to the newest arrival.

DJ was a very large boy, towering over everyone else so far. He wore a green shirt with an orange D on it; over that he wore a greyish jean jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. On his head was an orange beanie with a green trim, and he had a very short beard wrapped around his face. In between his hat and his beard was a kindhearted smile, a signature of DJ’s.

DJ walked towards the host, “Hey, yo, Chris McClean! How’s it goin’.” DJ offered his fist to be bumped before looking around. He furrowed his brow in confusion before looking back to Chris, “Hey, Man, Are You Sure this is the right place?” He looked towards the island, “Where the hot tubs at?” 

“Yo Dawg,” Chris so eloquently began, “This is It! Camp Wawanakwa!”

DJ frowned before picking up his bags and making is way to the others. Taking one last look around he grumbled, “Looked a lot different on the application forms.” 

There was no time for any introductions before the loud thumping of punk music ripped through the air, accompanied by a Snarling, Green Haired Teen. 

Said hair was styled in to a long and messy Mohawk, and he had mismatched piercings trimming his ears. He wore a torn baggy, black tank top with an asymmetrical red skull design, and a neck line that dipped very low. Under that he wore a fishnet long sleeved shirt. He had red torn pants and bulky black boots. He also had a black spiky dog collar and matching bracelet. His pierced uni-brow was furrowed as he glared ahead.

“Duncan!” Chris opened his arms, “Dude! Welcome!” 

Duncan threw his bag off the boat before leaping after it. His fist met his palm threateningly as he approached Chris, “I don’t like Surprises.”

Chris nodded, unbothered, “Yeah, your parole officer warned me about that…” Chris looked to Duncan and smirked “He also told me to give him a holler anytime and have You sent back to  _ Juvie! _ ”

Duncan looked the host up and down, before giving a hard sniff and a small smile “Alright then.” 

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the others. Once he saw Heather, he winked at her “Catch you by the campfire Gorgeous.” 

Heather produced some sort of disgusted sound, “Excuse me?”

Noah scoffed, “Just what this place needed.” He threw his hands up in faux excitement, “Not just a Criminal, But a Criminal That Was Dumb Enough To Get Caught!” He dropped his hands and the act, “How could we  _ Be  _ So Lucky.” 

Duncan whipped around to glare at Noah, “What was that,  _ Nerd _ ?” He growled.

Noah rolled his eyes in response, “Nerd? Nice comeback Original, But the 1950’s called, and it wants it’s insult back.” 

Duncan was half way to said nerd, probably to murder him, before being interrupted by Chris.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!!!” Chris gestured towards the lake with a grand flourish, “TYLER!!!!”

Tyler, unlike the previous arrivals, was not on his boat, but rather gliding on the water behind it in a pair of skis! His long brown hair flew behind him in the wind, showing off his red and white headband. He had matching bands on his wrists and was wearing what looked to be a basketball uniform with the letters TT on the chest. Oddly enough, the whole outfit looked brand new...

He looked up to the dock and smiled, before waving at the others, which was a mistake. The second he let go of the hand bar he lost his balance, and it didn’t take long after that before he was spat up, and thrown across the dock and into a pile of suitcases. 

“WICKED WIPE OUT, DUDE!” Chris exclaimed.

Beth made her way over to help, before Tyler’s hand jutted out of the pile, brandishing a proud thumbs up. Geoff and DJ shared a nod and their own thumbs up while Owen let out a “WOOO!”. 

Gwen simply rolled her eyes at the entire exchange. 

Chris looked on with a sort of child like glee, before sensing a new presence directly behind him. The host heard a heavy sigh in his ear, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. He quickly spun around to be greeted by a lanky nerd with thick glasses, and a greasy mullet of dark red hair. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with purple sleeves and a graphic of Saturn, this shirt was worn over a light green long sleeve shirt. His face was dotted with a blemish here and there, but most notably was covered with an assortment of freckles. 

Chris took a step back and smiled, “Welcome to Camp, Harold.”

Harold stared forward, almost as if he didn’t hear him. The others looked at one another in confusion, before Lindsay whispered, “What’s he Looking at?”

And then he spoke, “You mean this show is at some yucky camp and not on some big stage or something?” 

Chris winked, “You got it!”

Harold then pumped his arms in celebration, startling Chris, “YES!” He looked to the host, “That is so much more favorable to my Skills!” 

As he walked away, Chris shuddered in discomfort. Harold stood next to Geoff and Trent, who both shared a welcoming smile to the geek. 

The next boat to arrive was carrying a Girl and her Surfboard. She had long blond hair tied in a loose ponytail. She had a blue light jacket that was unzipped revealing her pale blue tank top with a wave decal across the chest. She carefully stepped off the boat and walked to Chris, before stopping and leaning on her board.

“Hey,” She smiled, “What’s up.”

“All right!” Chris begun. “Our Surfer Chick, Bridgette, is here!”

Duncan rolled his eyes, “Pfft, Nice Board. This ain’t Malibu, honey.”

Bridgette frowned, “I thought we were staying at a beach.”

Chris gestured happily to the shores of Camp Wawanakwa, “We Are!”

Bridgette took in the polluted waters and grimy beach with disappointment, but what was truly upsetting to her was the seagull that had just washed ashore, with soda rings wrapped around its neck.

She sighed, “Great.”

“Alright, we’re over half way-” Chris was interrupted by a hard thunk against his head as Bridgette bent down for her things, with seemingly no regard to where her Surfboard went, “OW! Darnit! That Hurt!”

Bridgette didn’t seem to notice as she made her way to the other campers, catching a certain party boy’s eyes. “Hey, guys”

Geoff maneuvered around the others quickly, “Heeeeeeey” He slid himself to her other side, “I’m Geoff.”

Bridgette smiled as she turned to face him, but unbeknownst to her, she also almost decapitated three of the other camper with her surfboard. “What’s Up.”

One of these campers was Harold, who did not take kindly to the attack, “DANG! Watch the Board, Man!”

Concerned, Bridgette turned once more. This motion however almost knocked down Geoff, who caught himself last second before falling into the water. 

Before she could see what was bothering Harold, Beth ran up to her, “Hi! I’m Beth!”

“Hey.” Smiling, she turned to face her, almost hitting DJ, Harold and Trent with her board. She did not, however almost hit Duncan.

Because she did hit Duncan.

Which, oddly enough, upset him.

“Alright! We’ve All Met Malibu,  _ and her Board”  _ He huffed as he got back to his feet, “So can we Move on? Like,  _ Now _ ?”

The camera panned to the next boat and the newest arrival. She was in a pink leather jacket with two red stripes wrapped around it, and the sleeves were rolled up. Under the jacket she had a shirt with apples on the chest. She had on bracelets and hoop earrings, but the most notable piece of jewelry she had was a large necklace with red and pink circles. Her tightly curled hair was pulled back into a poofy ponytail and she stood proudly at the end of the boat.

She waved, “ ‘Sup, Y’all!”

Harold gasped at the sight of her.

As the boat docked and she made her way to the host, Chris introduced her, “Leshawna is in the House!” he announced.

“Hey, How’s it goin’,” She high-fived Chris, “How you doin’?”. 

After receiving her high fives, Leshawna made her way to the others, “Y’all might as well quit now, ‘cause I came to win!” 

Harold watched her carefully as she walked, in a state of complete awe. Leshawna then spotted DJ in the growing crowd and smiled, “Oh! What’s up My Brother!” DJ Returned her smile as she walked up to him, “C’mon, give me some sugar, baby!” she reached her hand out and DJ accepted it with a fond slap.

All seemed to be going well for her debut before Harold blurted out, “I’ve never seen a girl like you in real life before.”

Leshawna quirked a brow as she looked over to him, “Excuse me?”

“Well, you’re real big,” Harold gestured wide with his arms, “And Loud!”

Agitation swept over Leshawnas face as looked the nerd up and down. She sucked her teeth as if she were mulling over her choices, before she responded with, “I’ll tell you what, Stringbean, how ‘bout I forget you ever said that, and you can continue enjoyin’ how it feels to walk,” She placed her hand on her hip, “Deal?”

Harold nodded as everyone exchange nervous glances. The air was tense, before Chris grabbed everyone's attention by greeting the newest arrivals. “Ladies, Sadie! Katie!”

Sadie wore her black hair in an 80’s perm, with a pink ribbon being used as a headband. Her lips her painted pink, and they matched her striped top which sat off her shoulder and was tucked into her light pink high wasted shorts. Sadie had a bulky white bracelet with black circles trailing around it and pink wedge shoes with circles on the strap.

To look between Sadie and Katie, one could be excused for thinking they saw double, if it wasn’t for the fact that Katie was considerably thinner, darker and taller than her friend. Outside of that though, they wore the same exact white and pink outfit the same exact way, with the same hair and the same shade of lipstick. The only difference seemed to be everywhere that Sadie wore circles, Katie wore hearts. That and the colors of Katie’s bracelet were inverted compared to the one on Sadie’s. 

“Welcome to your new home for the next eight weeks!” Chris explained.

The girls looked towards the shabby, run down campgrounds, before a large smile shined on Katie's face. She turned to her friend, excitedly grabbing her hand, “Oh My Gosh! Sadie, look! It’s a Summer Camp!”

Sadie covered her mouth with her spare hand in delight, “Oh My Gosh!” She moved her hand to fan at herself in excitement, “We’ve, like, Always wanted to go to Summer Camp!” 

The two applauded and squeed before grabbing their things and running towards the other campers, leaving behind a puzzled Chris.

He didn’t have long until the next camper arrived. He was pale, with his brown bowl cut hair being covered by a blue beanie. He was growing a beard, but not much had come in yet and it looked rather silly. He had on a green hoodie and blue jeans, along with work boots. He looked around the island, grey eyes sparkled with wonder as he took in the sights and sounds for the first time.

Chris waved to him, grabbing his attention, “Ezekiel! What’s up man?”

Ezekiel turned his attention to the sky, before pointing at something, “I think I see a bird!”

Trent chuckled at the perceived joke, before Chris pulled Ezekiel in for a little chat.

“Okay, look dude.” He began, “I know you don’t get out much. Been home-schooled your whole life,” Ezekiel nodded, “ Raised by freaky prairie people. Just, don’t say much and try not to get kicked off too early.” Chris placed a firm hand on his back as he ushered him to the others, “Okay?”

Ezekiel gave a nod and a hearty “Yes, Sir.” as he made his way to the others. 

Gwen watched this in disbelief, “That’s just,” She searched for a fitting word but came up empty, instead she settled on “Wow.”

The next contestant to be dropped off was a nerdy boy with a mop off brown hair. He wore a red T-shirt with an Atom graphic on it over a white button up shirt, which had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore pants that were too long for his legs. 

“Cody!” Chris opened his arms welcomingly, before pointing two finger guns at the boy, “The Codster! The Cod-Meister!”

Cody returned the finger guns before accepting a high-five presented by the host. He then started to strut over to the others with laughable amounts of confidence. “Dudes, siked to be here, man. I see the Ladies have already arrived. Alright.” 

As he walked he winked at an amused Lindsay, shot a finger gun at charmed Bridgette (Charmed in a way a child's crayon drawing is charming, mind you, but Charmed all the same), but before taking his spot amongst the crowd, he leaned over to Leshawna.

What he wished to say, we may never know, because Leshawna brought her finger to his mouth, silencing him with “Save it Short Stuff.”

She said this with a friendly smile, which Cody returned before falling back to stand with the others.

The lightness that hung in the air immediately crashed down with a booming stomp upon the dock.

The camera and cast looked over to see a strong girl with black as night hair tied into a straight ponytail. She wore blue athletic wear, her top being sleeveless and her shorts having twin white stripes along the sides. Her white socks were pulled to her knees and had two blue stripes at the top, and she had a waterproof step counter tied around her wrist. Her uni-brow was furrowed in what seemed to be rage, but if you knew her you’d know that’s just her face. No, her face when in raged is much different, and let’s pray that we may never have to see it. She reached up to her ear and futzed with an earbud, which was connected to an MP3 that she had tucked neatly in her pocket. 

“Eva,” Chris greeted, but she continued past him, “Nice, Glad you could make it.” He smiled at the camera, if only because it was the only thing currently paying him attention..

Eva took her place amongst everyone, where Cody ran up to meet the newest camper. He greeted her with an unnoticed High-five, before having her luggage dropped on his foot.

“OW!” He cried, “What’s in there? Dumb Bells?”

Eva had quirked her brow at the yell, before having it rest back into its original place. “Yes.”

Everyone exchanged glances before Duncan nodded to Cody, “She’s all yours, Man.”

Cody gulped as the next boat pulled up. 

“Next up is,” Chris started, “Courtney!”

Courtney stood at the bow of her boat, elegantly waving to the other contestants. She had her short brown hair tied back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a white short sleeved button up with purple accents. Her beautiful brown eyes were surrounded by freckles which covered her face, and could be seen trailing down her arms and legs as well. She had on green Capri's and purple tennis shoes; all in all, she looked much more prepared for camp than the others.

This was probably because Courtney was the only one to read the contract, front to back, fine print included. 

Twice. 

As the boat docked, Courtney reached regally over to Chris, where he delicately accepted her hand, aiding her down. “Thank you.” She smiled. 

She walked towards the others before stopping in front of the crowd, “Hi, you must be the other contestants,” She reached her hand out with the intent to shake, “It’s so nice to meet you all.”

Katie, with Sadie close behind, gleefully took her hand, and held it warmly, “Hi! My name’s Katie, and this is Sadie!” 

Sadie waved happily, “It’s SO Cool to meet you!!”

Courtney nodded courteously, before her hand was grabbed by Beth, who gave it a good firm shake, “I’m Beth! Welcome to the Island!”

“Thank you, Beth.” Courtney tightened her grip as she accepted the handshake, “I’m happy to be here!”

The final camper who seemed to care that a hand was offered to shake was Owen, who grabbed Courtney’s palm and rattled it up and down with unbridled enthusiasm, “I’m Owen!! How’s It Goin’!!”

Courtney was a little dazed from the shake up, but with ease she gathered her composer, “Nice to meet you, Ow-” She turned her head to the familiar sound of a boat driving atop the water only to be greeted by quite the sight, “-Oh, Wow.”

The next camper was an enchantingly handsome young man, with piercing blue eyes. His soft dark brown hair was styled with an undercut and an effortless quaff. He wore a green tee-shirt with a low neckline, and jeans.

Every camper seemed distracted by his beauty, one way or another. 

Some seemed annoyed by it, like Duncan and Cody.

Others seemed entranced, as if they were looking at beauty incarnate, like Courtney, DJ and Ezekiel. 

Finally there were those whose expressions fit more ‘Love Struck’ than anything else, Like Trent, Eva, Noah and especially Owen. 

All reactions this particular boy was used to.

As he stepped off the boat and made his way to Chris, the host introduced him, “This is Justin.”

Chris offered his fist for bumping, “Welcome to Total Drama Island.”

Justin met his knuckles with Chris’, “Thanks, Chris, this is great.”

“Just so you Know,” Chris placed a hand on his shoulder, “We picked you Entirely on your Looks.”

Justin shrugged, “I can live with that.” 

As Justin walked to the others, Owen ran over with hopes of making a good first impression. 

He pointed at Justin's jeans, “I Like Your Pants!”

“Thanks, man.”

“Cause they look all worn out!” Owen chuckled to himself before continuing, “Did you buy them like that?”

“Uh, No,” Justin smiled, “Just had them for a while.”

“Oh, Cool!” Owen gave a thumbs up, before smacking his forehead in frustration and muttering, _ “Stupid!” _

Chris Smiled, “And that’s everyone!” He hopped onto a nearby boat and gestured to the campers, “We need a group photo for the promos, So Everyone at the end of the Dock!”

The teens obliged, as they shuffled over and arranged themselves for a photo. They all looked towards Chris and his Camera and smiled.

Chris positioned the camera just right before counting down, “1...2...3!”

-CLICK-

“Oops,” Everyone's smile fell as Chris explained, “Ok, Forgot the lens cap!” He then clicked the button to remove the cover, before waving for everyone to get back into position, “Ok, Hold that Pose! 1.. 2.. Oh, oh no wait.” He smiled wide, “Cards full! Hang on…”

As Chris worked to fix his camera, Leshawna rolled her eyes, “C’mon Man! My face is Gonna Freeze!”

Lindsay turned to her, interested, “Really? Is that, like, a Thing?”

Ezekiel called over to her from the opposite side of the dock, “Oh, Yeah, Eh!” He started, “ My mom warns me about it all the time! If You make a face for to long, eh, It’ll get stuck!”

Lindsay covered her mouth in shock, “Oh my gosh!!! That is SO Scary!” She held her hands to her cheeks worriedly, “How much do you need to, like, change your face so it doesn’t get Frozen?!?”

Leshawna, suddenly regretting her choice of words, turned to Lindsay, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Don’t worry about it girl, I was just talkin’. You’d have to be tryin’ to get your face stuck for it to happen.”

“Really?”

She smiled, “Yeah, really.”

“Got It!” Chris called, catching everyone's attention, “Say, ‘WAWANAKWA!”

Everyone grinned before echoing, “WAWANAK-”

_ -CRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIII - AA AAAAAAK _ _!!_ -

The dock beneath everyone's feet began to rumble and wiggle; buckling under the shared weight of the campers, before surrendering and plunging it’s killers into the cold lake water below.

This didn’t stop Chris from snatching some less than flattering photos of the teens scrambling to the water's surface. 

Chris let out a laugh before calling out to them, “Alright, Campers! Dry off, then meet me at the Campfire pit!”

* * *

After drying off with some suspiciously ready to go towels, the teens gathered at the designated meeting place. There was only enough places to sit for half of them, the other half being forced to stand. DJ didn’t make any moves to sit, preferring to let someone else get the chance, while Geoff gave his Spot to Bridgette, who accepted with a smile. Beth, Lindsay, Sadie and Katie arrived with only two spots left to sit. Beth immediately offered for the other girls to go ahead, which Lindsay happily did, however this left Sadie and Katie to debate who would sit, both insisting that the other “Totes Should!”. Ultimately, it was Katie who stood. Right next to Sadie, of course! The rest who stood seemed to be there just from bad luck and poor timing.

“THIS” Chris gestured wide with his arms, “Is Camp Wawanakwa!  _ Your Home  _ For the next Eight Weeks.” The camera panned over the contestants as he spoke. “The Campers sitting around you will be-”

The camera looked towards Geoff, Bridgette and DJ, “- your Cabin mates-” 

The shot then focused on Gwen and Heather, “-your Competition-” as Chris spoke his line Heather gave a small smile to the other girl, which got a moody huff in return.

Before finishing this bit of the explanation, the camera switched to Noah and Owen, who were sitting next to each other, ”-And maybe even your friends, Ya’ Dig?” Owen looked to the other boy with a small smile as Chris continued.

“The camper who can stay on Total Drama the longest, Without getting Voted off, will win $100,000!”

Duncan walked forward, tired of standing around and listening to some speech, “‘Scuse me, What will the sleeping arrangements be?” he then gave side eyes to Heather before jutting his thumb in her direction, “Because I’d like to request a bunk under  _ Her!” _

Heather's mouth hung open, appalled, before asking “They’re not Co-Ed, Are they?”

“Noooo-” Chris reassured, “Girls get one side of each cabin, and Dudes get the other.”

Lindsay rose her hand, “Excuse me? Kyle? Can I have the cabin with the Lake view, since I’m the Prettiest?” She rested her hands in her lap waiting for her ‘Yes.’

“Okay, you are, but that’s not really how it works around here.” Lindsay's assured smile dropped into a confused frown as Chris continued, “And it’s  _ CHR-IS _ ”

Katie looked nervously at Chris, “I Have to Live with Sadie, or-” She bent down to wrap her arms around her friends shoulders, “I’ll Die!”

Sadie nodded as she brought her hands up to hold Katie’s “And I’ll break out in HIVES! It’s True!”

Gwen stared miserably forward as she griped, “This Can Not Be Happening.”

“Here’s the deal!” Chris took out a sheet of paper, “We’re gonna split you into two teams, If I call your name out, go stand over there.” Chris pointed to his left.

“Cody, Gwen,”

As the two stood up, Cody winked at Gwen, which got an annoyed eye roll in response. 

“Heather, Izzy, Justin, Katie,”

Katie reluctantly let go of Sadie, before slowly walking towards her growing team.

“Leshawna, Lindsay,”

Upon hearing their names, Leshawna held her head up proudly, while Lindsay perked up confused to why she just heard her name.

“Noah, Owen,”

The fast friends shared a small high five before joining their team. Katie looked amongst her fellow campers anxiously, rubbing her hands together in thought. 

“ and... “ 

Katie held her breath as she locked eyes with her BFF. 

Time seemed to stop for the two girls. 

They had to be on the same team, they just had to be!

Chris looked up from his list and called “Trent.”

You could hear the shatter of Katie and Sadie’s hearts as their world plummeted down around them. ”Wait! What about Sadie!” Katie cried.

Chris ignored her as he continued, “From now on you’ll be known as-” He tossed a rolled up green flag their way, which Owen caught with ease, “THE SCREAMING GOPHERS”

Owen unfurled the flag in front of him, revealing a logo of a Gopher Screaming with it front paws up to fight. Owen chuckled, “Yeah! I’m a Gopher! WOOOO!”

Katie looked as if she may cry, before Leshawna swooped in giving her a warm smile, “It’s gonna be alright, girl. You’re a Gopher now,” she extended her fist to be bumped, “We Gochu.”

Katie looked toward Leshawna, her eyes still welling with tears. Her kind words didn’t seem to do much to comfort Katie, and rather than accepting the fist bump, she looked towards her dear friend, with hope in her eyes. 

Sadie returned the look, maybe Chris misread the list and it’ll all be sorted out as he continued to read….

“The rest of you, Over here!” Chris gestured to the right, and listed the following names, “Beth, Bridgette, Courtney,”

The three girls exchanged kind smiles before walking over to the right. 

“DJ, Duncan,”

DJ nodded a greeting towards Duncan, which was surprisingly returned.

“Eva, Ezekiel,” 

Ezekiel waved towards the others, while Eva didn’t acknowledge any of their existences as she took her place with the team.

“Geoff,”

Geoff took a spot next to Bridgette, shining that award winning smile of his at her. She looked up at him with a small smile of her own, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

“Harold, Sadie,”

Harold quickly moved to stand with his team, leaving Sadie behind with Tyler. Sadie did not stand up from her stump, instead she waited in anticipation. She waited in hopes that Chris would realize he read something wrong and put her and Katie on the same team.

“And,” Chris smiled up at the campers, “Tyler.” He gestured for the stragglers to to join their team, “MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!”

Tyler jogged to the others, tripping over a stump in the process, but he made a nice recovery and took his place amongst his team. 

Sadie still made no moves to join her team mates, she instead turned to the Gophers, to Katie, “But, Katie’s a Gopher! I have to be a Gopher!”

Courtney walked over to Sadie and placed a calm hand on her back, “Sadie, was it?” She gave a small nod, “Come on, It’ll be okay.” 

As Courtney led Sadie to the others, She gave her a reassuring smile, which did not seem to reassure her at all as Sadie cried out, “THIS IS SO UNFAIR!” She looked over her shoulder reaching her hand out to her best friend, “I MISS YOU KATIE!!!”

Katie sniffled as she tried (and failed) to hold back tears, “I MISS YOU TOO!!”

Leshawna wrapped her arms around Katie to comfort her as she held her face in her hands, distraught. 

After leading Sadie to the others, Courtney moved her hand away. As Sadie was looking over to the other team, worried about her friend, she felt a callused hand take hers. When she looked over she discovered Beth had grabbed her hand, and she was shining a bright smile in an attempt to cheer Sadie up. Sadie turned back to Katie, but she tightened her grip on Beth’s hand. 

As this happened Chris had tossed their team flag towards them, being caught by Harold, who did not have as easy of a time with the task as Owen. He fumbled for quite a bit, trying to get a good grip on the banner. With every misplaced hand, Duncan's laughter grew louder, and Courtney’s glare more severe, before she gave a hushed, “ _ Stop It.”  _ towards the delinquent.

As Duncan rolled his eyes at Courtney’s reaction, Harold had finally got a hold on the red banner, unfurreling it as Chris declared, “You guys will officially be known as,” The banner revealed an angry profile of a fish, also screaming, “THE KILLER BASS!”

Harold gawked at the design, “That’s awesome, it’s like,” He smiled, “Amazing!”

“Alright campers,” Chris continued, “You and your team will be on camera in all public areas during this competition,”

The camera changed to view Chris sitting in an outhouse. It was grimy and rancid with flies filling the area. Chris seemed unbothered as he continued, “You will also be able to share your innermost thoughts on tape with video diaries, anytime that you want!” He winked at the camera, “Let the audience know what you’re  _ really  _ thinking!”

The shot switched from Chris to a confused Lindsay, facing the wrong way searching for something, “I Don’t get it?? Where’s the Camera??”

The next shot was Bridgette, who smiled kindly at the camera, “Right, So, umm… I guess this is TV?” She rubbed the back of her neck, “I guess I don’t really have much to say? Umm,“ She waved “Hi Everyone at home!” she gave two thumbs up, “Wish me Luck!... I guess?” She then brought her hand to her face, nervously, “Oh, Shoot. Did I say ‘I Guess’ Too Much?? Can I Start Again?”

The shot switched back to Lindsay, who still hadn’t figured it out. She spun around in search of the fabled camera before sitting and resting her head in her hand in thought, “Is this not, like, the right place?” 

After that, the image of a very stern Owen filled the screen, he spoke seriously, “Listen, I’ve got something to get off my Chest.” He Glared at the camera, before letting out a loud belch, melting away his cold hearted facade. A warm chuckle then trickled out of his mouth before ending the confessional.

The next shot was an odd one, half of the out house was still in frame, but so was the outside. Lindsay stood in the Doorway, her face out of frame, and she yelled, “UMM, CRAIG?? WHERE DID YOU SAY THAT CAMERA THINGY WAS??”

Something that sounded like another voice called back, and Lindsay Answered, “RIGHT, BUT, LIKE, I CAN’T-,” She crouched to look better at the door, her face now filling the screen. That face then quickly lit up as she beamed, looking over her shoulder she yelled once more, “NEVER MIND! I FOUND IT!”

She turned back to the camera, smiling, “Hi Everyone! I’m Lindsay!” She then kissed the camera lens, leaving a trace of her lipstick, “Wish me luck!” She winked, ending her confessional. 

With that the camera was back on Chris, once again standing in front of the campers at the Campfire pit, “Alright, Any questions?” he paused, “Cool, Let’s find your cabins!”

* * *

Everyone followed Chris to the cabins, chatting amongst themselves before Chris began speaking again, “Here we are!” 

Before them where two shabby cabins that did nothing to impress, not that anyone was expecting to be impressed at this point. “Gophers, you’re in the East cabin,” Chris gestured before turning to look at the teens, “Bass, you’re in the West.” Chris pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the other cabin. 

Heather was the first Gopher to arrive at the girls side, opening the door to reveal the insides matched the outsides. There were three bunk beds, six beds all together, and for some reason this is where Heather had a problem. 

“Bunk Beds?” She asked, disgusted, “Isn’t that a little… Summer Camp?”

Gwen then pushed her way past, bumping harshly against Heather, “That’s the Idea, Genius.”

Heather gawked, offended, she went to say something but clearly bit her tongue. She instead let out an exasperated sigh, as she fixed her sunglasses back into place atop her head. 

“You’re so smart,” Gwen jumped at the voice, turning to see Cody had followed her inside, “I feel that.”

Gwen looked around, “Shouldn’t you be on the boy’s side?”

Cody grinned sheepishly, before being chucked out of the cabin, skidding in the grass and stopping at Trent’s feet. Trent looked at the cabin and then back at Cody, piecing together what had happened, “You good, Man?” Cody gave a small thumbs up as response, and Trent continued on his way.

Leshawna then walked by, arm still around a crying Katie, “Shhh, it’s alright, hun, let it out.” As they walked, she noticed Cody in the ground and without skipping a beat helped him up. She quirked a brow at him, “You good, shorty?” 

Cody stretched, putting on a confident front, “Ah, yeah. Gwen’s just playin’ hard to get, is all...”

Leshawna rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling, as she placed her arm back around Katie. 

Gwen walked out of the cabin after putting her stuff away, taking a seat on the steps. Lindsay followed soon after her, perplexed “Where are the outlets?” She placed her hand on her hip as she explained, “I have to plug in my curling iron.”

Chris smiled over to her, “There are some outlets in the communal bathrooms, just cross the way.”

“Communal bathrooms? But I’m not Catholic?” 

“Not  _ Communion _ ,” Chris made sure to enunciate, “ _ Communal.” _

Lindsay waited for him to explain, but he didn’t seem to think it was necessary. At this point, Gwen was certain her eyes would be popped out of her skull by the end of the show, as she rolled them for the umpteenth time, “It means we shower together. Idiot.”

Lindsay’s bottom lip began to tremble before she let out a piercing whine, “AAAAAAAAWWWWW, C’MON NO!” 

Her cries grabbed everyone's attention, including those at the Killer Bass Cabin. Duncan snickered, “Looks like we Dodged a Bullet on that one, huh boys?” 

Ezekiel nodded, letting out a chuckle of his own, while Geoff seemed preoccupied by a different blonde. “Excuse me, Chris?” He watched as Bridgette made her way inside, “Is there a chaperone of any kind in this facility?” 

“Your all Sixteen years old, as old as a Counselor in Training at a Regular Summer Camp.” Chris shrugged with a smile, “So other than myself and the Camp Chef, You’ll be unsupervised.” Chris then turned to leave, “You have a half hour to unpack and meet me at the main lodge. Starting,” He glanced at his watch, “Now!”

Geoff seemed pleased with his answer, something Courtney didn’t seem to pick up on. “I understand your concerns, Geoff.” She began before smiling at him, “But don’t worry, I'm a trained C.I.T, so I can make sure all of the rules are followed accordingly.” She left him with a smile, before going into her side of the cabin.

Geoff scratched his head, as Duncan rolled his eyes, “Scratch what I said about dodging a bullet.”

With that there was a moment of silence.

Well, maybe not a moment.

What’s less than a moment? 

With that there was 1/4th of a moment of silence.

Silence that was shattered by an earth rattling shriek coming from the girls side of the Gophers cabin. 

Everyone rushed over, some curious some worried, all poking their heads through the door. They were greeted by the sight of Lindsay, standing distressed atop a stool, “Man, that girl can scream.” Leshawna commented.

“What is it?!” She watched the floor in horror, drawing everyone's attention to a skittering roach. “Kill it! KILL IT!”

Some left, losing interest, some left out of fear, few stayed to help. Leshawna, Harold, Tyler and Ezekiel stomped around the cabin, trying desperately to catch the fast bug under their shoe. None could achieve this feat, until Duncan entered the cabin, brandishing an ax. 

Though technically the bug still didn’t get stomped. Rather Duncan brought the ax high above his head before slamming it down onto the unsuspecting roach. Just before the blade mad contact, it almost sounded like the insect cried out for help.

But that's silly... Right?

Gwen smirked, impressed, “Well, that’s one way to kill a cockroach.”

The bug lay sliced on the ground; each half still skittering it’s legs in vain on opposite sides of the weapon. Harold watched, fascinated, “Awesome…”

Tyler, however, paid it no mind as he made his way over to Lindsay, “If you ever see one of those again, just let me know, ok?” he sniffed, “‘Cause, Ya’ know, I could do that, too.” 

Lindsay smiled at him, already smitten, a feeling shared by Tyler. Duncan saw this and rolled his eyes, “They always go for the jocks.” He meant it in a derogatory way, but he couldn’t fight the smile sneaking onto his face.

* * *

The camera hung on a shot of the Main Lodge as a new voice echoed out.

_ “LISTEN UP!!!” _

The camera then switched to a panning shot of the interior, revealing all of the campers waiting in line for their lunch that was promised so long ago. It also showed that the lodge more closely resembled a mess hall, with two tables, each with eleven seats. There was a large man standing behind a window that led to the kitchen, the camp chef Chris had told them about. He was tall and muscular and his face was twisted in rage, for seemingly no reason. His aura screamed intimidation in spite of his tiny chef hat and apron. 

“I’LL SERVE IT THREE TIMES A DAY” He, Chef Hatchet was his name, instructed,” AND YOU’LL  _ EAT IT  _ THREE TIMES A DAY!!”

He looked over the campers, “GRAB YOUR TRAY, GET YOUR FOOD, AND SIT YOUR BUTTS DOWN  _ NOW!”  _

“Excuse me, sir,” Ezekiel was first in line, next Harold, “Will we be gettin’ all of the major food groups? My dad says that they’re important for a growin’ boy, eh.”

Harold nodded, “Yeah, ‘cause I get hypoglycemic real bad if I don’t get enough sugar.” 

As Chef listened to the two and plopped their glop onto their trays, his eyes began to twitch. With every word his anger was fueled, before answering them “You’ll get a lot of  _ SHUT THE HECK UP!”  _

The two boys grabbed their trays and scrambled to their seats, as Owen lent down to Noah, “Have a Cow.” He whispered.

Noah smirked, but both recoiled at Chef’s acknowledgment, “WHAT WAS THAT?” 

Chef glared as he gestured for Owen, “Come Closer Fat Boy, I Didn’t  _ Hear You.”  _

Owen shuffled nervously over with his tray, “Uh, I.. Well I didn’t really say anything important…” 

Chef handed him his food, “I’m Sure You Didn’t.” 

Chef looked down at Noah as the boy got his food, “YOU!” Noah stopped and looked up to the man, “Scrawny Kid. Give Me Your Tray.” He obliged before frowning as Chef piled more slop onto his plate. It took a couple tries though, since the goop seemed to keep clinging its way back to the ladle. The third time this happened, Chef smacked his Ladle against the tray, silencing the beast- I mean, food. Noah held his tray arms length as he eyed it cautiously, walking to take his seat. 

Next in line was Eva followed by Leshawna. Leshawna smiled at Eva, “Hey, Girl, How’s it Goin’?”

Eva glanced at Leshawna before grabbing her food and walking away. This, surprisingly, came across a little offensive. Crazy, I know.  “Oh? It’s Gonna be like _ That, _ is it?” Leshawna glared at Eva as she made her way to her table. 

Before anything else could arise from this Chef called out a “NEXT!” 

This shot was followed by Eva sitting in the confessional. She had her arms crossed and her signature look on her face, “Maybe ignoring that Gopher girl was a little ‘Rude’” She brought her hands up for air-quotes, before pressing her thumb against her chest, “But I didn’t come here to make friends, especially not with losers from the enemy team. And if she has any sense under that ponytail, she’d understand.” 

And with that the focus was back on the Main Lodge, with Lindsay and Gwen waiting for their food. 

Lindsay looked down at her meal, “Excuse me, but my nutritionist says that I can’t have anything with White Sugar; White Flour; Or like, Dairy?” 

Chef glared at her as she made her list, as Gwen examined what passed as food, “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Assured the goth.

Lindsay smiled at her, “Cool!” she then grabbed her tray and made her way to sit. 

“Okay, I hate to be predictable and complain on the first day,” Gwen looked up at Chef, “But I think mine just moved.”

Chef locked eyes with her as he brought up his meat mallet and crashed it down onto Gwen’s dish, splattering maybe meat all over her. “Right! Okay Then!” She said, thoroughly startled, as she grabbed her no longer moving food and scurried away. 

The teams sat together, poking at their meals, debating if taking a bite was worth the risk, when Chris finally arrived “Welcome to the Main Lodge!” 

“Yo, my man,” Geoff turned to Chris, “Can we order a pizza or something?” As he spoke those final words a kitchen knife soared through the air, missing Geoff's ear by just a hair and lodging itself into the wall. Geoff flipped around to find Chef glowering at him, with a second knife held firmly in his hand. His eyes widened in fear as he spoke, “WOAH! It’s Cool, G! Brown Slop Is Cool!!” 

Everyone nodded in mandatory agreement, as Chris continued as though nothing had happened, “Your first Challenge begins,” He turned to walk away, throwing up single finger into the air, “ in One Hour!” 

Ezekiel looked towards his team, “What do you think they’re gonna make us do, eh?”

“It’s our first challenge,” Bridgette smiled, “How hard can it be.”

* * *

The camera next found the teens standing around and dressed in their swimsuits.

Standing around on 1,000 ft cliff.

This, just possibly, maybe, could be just a teeny tiny bit….. Hard.

* * *


	2. Not So Happy Campers pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Twenty-Two Teens prepare for their first challenge, with some encountering rough waters already.

“Ok!” Chris stood in front of the campers, “Today's challenge is three fold!” He gestured to the edge of the cliff, “Jump off this 1,000 ft cliff into the lake.”

Bridgette smiled to Ezekiel, “Piece of cake.”

“If you look down, you’ll see two target areas.” The camera looked toward the waters, “The wider area represents the part of the lake that we have stocked with,” Chris interrupted himself with a chuckle, “Psychotic, Man Eating Sharks!” 

The camera moved to look toward Geoff, who propped his hat up in thought, and DJ, whose face radiated a mixture of concern and fear.

“Inside that area is a Safe Zone,” Chris continued, “That’s your Target. Which, we’re pretty sure is Shark-Free.” The shot panned over to Noah, Owen and Cody. The latter two boys had heard enough to be worried, but Noah's expression stayed uncaring. Uncaring, that is, until Chris expressed his uncertainty, “Probably.” 

Noah’s face twisted into concern, “Pardon?

Chris went on with his explanation, ignoring all of their bubbling concerns, “For each member of your team that jumps and actually…. Survives.” Chris gestured down to the beaches below as the camera followed, “There will be a crate of supplies waiting. Inside each crate are supplies that you’ll need for the third part of the challenge.” Chris smiled to the fretting teens, “Building a Hot Tub!”

“The team with the best one,” He explained, “Gets to have a  _ Wicked  _ hot tub party tonight!” He brought his hands together, his expression suddenly becoming more serious, “The losers will be sending someone home.” 

Chris switched back to his normal smile, “Let’s see…” He pointed at one of the teams, “Killer Bass! You’re up First!”

Bridgette looked over the edge of the cliff, shaken by the height, “Oh, Wow…” Trying not to worry her team, she turned to them, smiling, “So, who wants to go first?” 

Eva walked over next to her, looking down, “Not that I’m scared, But,” she turned to Chris, “this feels like it should be illegal.” 

The others mumbled their affirmatives, before Chris opened his mouth, “I’m afraid not,” Chris’ face morphed into one of shock as the voice that came out was not his own. The camera moved to the source of the sound, revealing Courtney, arms crossed and with an apologetic look on her face, “It’s all in the contracts that we agreed to. Granted when it said 'By Signing This Contract You Give Total Drama The Permission To Put You Through Any Dangerous Scenario’,” Courtney gestured, frustrated, to the edge of the cliff, “I didn’t think they meant _ This Dangerous!!!”  _

With those horrid contracts being mentioned again, Gwen shot a hate filled glare towards the host, while Trent reassured everyone, “Hey, guys don’t worry.” He smiled, “They always make the interns do this stuff first, ya’know, to make sure it’s safe.” 

Trent was right! Though looking back, it did take a couple tries to get an intern who…. Succeeded…

But One Did Succeed! 

So, That’s Good!

Better the tenth one, than none of them, I always say!

“So!” Eva turned to the others, authoritatively crossing her arms as she spoke, “Who’s Up.”

Duncan wiggled his brow at the two girls standing at the cliff edge,”Ladies first.”

Eva looked like she was about to snap at him before Bridgette spoke up, “Fine. I’ll Go. It’s no big deal.” She took a deep breath before preparing to jump, “Just an insane cliff dive into a circle of angry sharks.” 

And with that, Bridgette leaped off the cliffs edge with perfect diving form. She cut through the air before splashing into the water below. After looking around to confirm that she was in fact in the safe zone, Bridgette waved up to the others, smiling. 

* * *

Eva sat in the confessional, “Good to know  _ someone else _ on this team has a backbone.” 

* * *

Cutting back to the cliff, Eva cracked her neck, before taking a running jump into the water, shouting down, “LOOK OUT BELOW!”

Bridgette Swam out of the way as Eva landed next to her, giving the jock a smile as she surfaced, “Nice, dude.” 

Eva nodded her thanks, as a boat drove up to the safe zone to pick up the two girls, and the next couple of campers to follow.

“THEY DID IT!” Tyler cheered, before continuing excitedly, “I’M NEXT! I’M NEXT” 

Much like Eva, he took a running start, and executed a form similar to Bridgette, though where he differed from the girls was equally, if not more, important to a successful dive.

Aim.

Tyler soared through the air gracefully, before ramming into one of the many buoys floating around safe zone with a Cringing Thudd. 

At least he sled off into the not shark infested side. That’s Good. 

Bridgette winced in response, while all Eva gave was a disappointed head shake.

After that Geoff leaped with reckless abandon, twirling his hat in the air as he fell, shouting “WOOOOOO!!!!”

Duncan followed, though he didn’t seem to be having as much fun. He stared at the camera, unimpressed by the thrill of cliff diving, like that made him cool or something. 

DJ was supposed to follow them, but as he approached the ledge all he could do was look down in fear. He turned away, shaking his head, “Uh Uh. No way. I Aint Jumpin’.” 

Chris approached him kindly, “Scared of Heights?”

“Yeah,” DJ looked to Chris with soulful eyes, thankful he understood, “Ever since I was a Kid.”

Chris placed a soft hand on the large boys back, “That’s okay, big guy.” Chris’ smile then went from kind to mischievous, “But that also makes You a CHICKEN! So,” Chris then produced a chicken hat from behind his back, placing it onto DJ’s head with a squeak, “You’ll have to wear this for the rest of the day!” 

“Aw man, For Real?”

Chris brought his hands to his hips and flapped his wings, “Bwack Bwack Bwack!” He put his arms down, before gesturing behind him, “That means the Chicken Path down is That ‘a Way!”

DJ Looked over to see they had installed an escalator, which he approached dejectedly, looking back to the other campers mortified.

Ezekiel turned to Harold with a smile, “Looks Like We’re Next, Eh!” he then ran and lept, hollering “WOOOOOOOOO-!” as plummeted into the water. When he emerged he got encouraging cheers from Bridgette, Geoff, Tyler and even Duncan.

Ezekiel shared a proud smile with his team before flashing them a thumbs up. 

Harold watched as Ezekiel successfully survived the jump before also cheering, “Yes!” He then followed after also hollering, though his form opened himself up for some… Pain.

Harold’s torso smacked against the water with a stinging  _ THWAP,  _ which caused all onlookers to recoil. The boy slowly sunk beneath the water with high pitched whimper.

Ezekiel chuckled as he helped Harold onto the boat, “You alright, eh?”

Harold gave a thumbs up from one of his hands, which he had wrapped around his now red stomach.

Chris smiled down, "Oooo, hate to see that happen." he lied.

Courtney approached Chris, after some careful thought, “Excuse me, Chris?” He looked toward the girl, “I have a medical condition.”

Chris frowned, “What Condition?”

“A Condition That Prevents Me From Jumping Off Cliffs.”

A smirk took the place of the concerned look that Chris had previously sported, “You can Chicken Out if you  _ Want-”  _ He raised a manicured eyebrow, “But It may cost your team The Win.” His smirk turned sadistic as he continued, “And then they’ll Hate You.” 

Courtney smiled confidently, “It’s a calculated risk.” She looked over to the enemy team with belittling eyes, “I’ve seen the other team, and I don’t think Nine of them will Jump.” 

“Alright,” Chris placed the cap onto her head, “Here’s your Chicken hat.” 

Chris smiled down at his clipboard, “Alright, let’s tally up the results.” his face then forrowned into confusion, tilting his head he spoke, “Hold on, that’s  _ Seven _ Jumpers, and  _ Two  _ Chickens…” He looked toward the campers, “We’re missing two.”

The camera followed Chris’ gaze to find Katie and Sadie clinging onto each other. Beth stood close to Sadie with her hand on her back, with a helpless look fixed to her face. “I Am Not Jumping Without Katie.” Sadie declared.

Katie looked up to him with pleading eyes, “We Have To Be On The Same Team, Chris!” 

The two then began to beg in desperate unison, “PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAASSSSSE! Can We?! Can We Please!? Chris??!? PLEASE?!?” 

Beth watched, holding her hands close to her chest, before coming up with an idea. She raised her hand, “Oh! Chrith! I can Sthwitch Platheths With Katie! I Don’t Mind!” 

The two friends turned to Beth, beaming, before looking back at Chris with hope radiating from their eyes. 

“Al _ right _ .  _ FINE.” _ He glared at the two of them, “You’re both on the Killer Bass Now.” He turned to Beth, “Beth! You’re a Screaming Gopher.”

Sadie and Katie cheered as they hugged Chris before rushing over to do the same with Beth, “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!”

Beth happily returned the hug as Chris called out “You’re up Girls!”

Katie and Sadie let go of Beth, before joining hands and rushing towards the cliff, “WE’RE COMING, KILLER BASS!” They called. 

And with that, the BFF’s world was right again.

“Okay,” Chris looked down at the Killer Bass as he spoke to the Gophers, “That’s Nine Jumpers and Two Chickens.” He turned to the remaining team, “Screaming Gophers, if you can beat that we’ll throw in pull carts to put your crates on.”

“Now That’s What I’m Talkin’ About!” Leshawna exclaimed, before turning to her team, “Alright Gophers, let’s do this!” She pumped her fist into the air. 

She smiled to Beth, “First things First, Welcome to the winning Team, Hun!” Beth grinned wide as Lindsay gave a happy clap to celebrate her new friend’s arrival on the team. “Now, Who’s Goin’ First?”

The Gophers shuffled nervously, before Heather spoke, “Hi, excuse me, but I can’t do this.” She smiled.

Leshawna looked at her, concerned, “Why not? You alright?”

Heather nodded, “Oh yeah, it’s just this is  _ National TV,  _ and I’ll get my Hair Wet.” She chuckled, “Could you  _ Imagine  _ that Kind of Fashion disaster being Broadcasted Onto  _ Every TV  _ In Canada? God, It’s a Nightmare just _ Thinking  _ About it!” 

“Oh My Gosh,” Lindsay covered her mouth in realization, “I didn’t think of that!” She ran her hand through her hair, “I’m not jumping either!”

Leshawna laughed a little, “No, girl, it’s okay. Heather was Jokin’!” She looked over to Heather, her smile being replaced with something more stern, “You  _ were  _ Jokin’, Right?”

“I’m sorry,” Heather inspected her nails, “But I’m not doing it.”

“Listen, I’m sorry you got your hair done, or whatever, but we’re gonna need you to be a team player here!” Leshawna put a kind hand on Heather’s shoulder in an attempt to level with her, “No One’s gonna Care that You Hair Got Wet.”

Heather stared at Leshawna, something glistening in her eye. It looked like gears were turning inside her head, trying to grasp the fact that someone just told  _ her _ she  _ had  _ to do something.

Even though she said she _ wasn’t  _ going to.

Didn’t this girl  _ Know  _ that what Heather says goes?

“Maybe you didn’t hear me,” She leaned into Leshawna’s face, “I'm. Not.  _ Jumping _ .”

Leshawna sucked her teeth as she mauled over her options, before deciding she was going to fight this, “And I said, You  _ Are.”  _

Heather crossed her arms, “And who died and made  _ You  _ Queen?” She turned to the others, “I think it should be up to the  _ Team,  _ Who’s in charge.” She cocked her head, glancing at Leshawna from the corner of her eye, “Don’cha Think.”

Gwen rolled her eyes, “Oh, come off it..” she flipped her bangs up, before they settled back in front of her eye, “Who cares what you Hair looks like when we’ve lost and your sent home.” 

_“Excuse me?”_

“If we lose because of your ‘ _ FaSHion DiSaSter _ ’, there is No Way your staying.” She directed her scowl up towards Heather, “Sorry to burst your Bubble.”

Heather let out an offended gasp as the team agreed with Gwen. 

This Was Not Happening.

Leshawna gestured towards the end of the cliff, expectantly.

Heather’s face bent into a glare before spitting, “ _ Make. Me.” _

“If that’s How You Wanna Do This.” everyone mumbled to themselves as they watched Leshawna approach Heather. The latter stood tall, calling the formers bluff.

The thing was, Leshawna rarely Bluffed.

Leshawa lifted Heather above her head as the girl cried out in protest, before launching her through the air and towards the waters below. 

She landed with a sploosh into the inner circle before shouting, “ _ LESHAWNA!  _ YOU ARE SO  _ DEAD!!! _ ”

Leshawna called back, “HEY! I THREW YOU INTO THE SAFE ZONE, DIDN’T I?!!” She then lowered her voice, “I just hope I can make it there, too…” Before she went to jump, she noticed Lindsay nervously holding her hair. 

Leshawna sighed as she approached the girl. Lindsay backed away “I Can’t! My Hair!” 

“I know, girl, I know…” Leshawna place her hand on Lindsays back, leading her to the edge, “But do you wanna know a secret?” Lindsay stared at Leshawna with interest, “I think, if anyone here could work wet hair, It’d be you.”

Lindsay smiled, “Yeah?” 

“Mmmm-Hmm.” Leshawna smiled back, “So why don’t you jump and prove me right?”

Lindsay's smile grew wider, “OK!” she looked down, suddenly intimidated by the height, before turning back to Leshawna, “Will you jump with me?” 

Leshawna smiled, reaching her hand out to Lindsay, “ ‘Course, Girl.” Lindsay happily accepted the extended hand, and the two then lept, screaming as they fell before joining Heather in the water. 

Lindsay looked over to Leshawna, drenched “How do I Look?!”

Leshawna smiled, “Even better than I thought!” Lindsay ran her hand over her hair proudly, as Leshawna turned to Heather, “And look who’s perfectly fine.” Heather glared, splashing water into her face. 

“IZZY NEXT! IZZY NEXT!!” Izzy ran toward the cliff before doing an impressive flip off the edge. She did multiple spins in the air before landing in the water. She emerged laughing, “WOOOO!” she turned to the boat holding Leshawna, Lindsay and Heather who were all calling out to her, 

“PADDLE, GIRL, PADDLE” 

“OH MY GOSH, MISSY, SWIM!!”

“LOOK OUT!”

Izzy looked over to them, waving, unaware that she had landed in the Shark Zone. Two sharks swam their way up to the unsuspecting girl, their fins slicing menacingly through the water, by the time Izzy looked that way, she was submerged. 

Everyone cried out, while sweat began to bead nervously across Chris’ forehead, “Uh Oh.” 

Just when everyone was certain that Izzy had been lost, She surfaced, a foot on each shark’s back as she laughed maniacally. The two supposed apex predators brought Izzy to the shore, before she turned to wave at them, “Thanks Guys!”

Upon seeing her look at them, the Sharks fled with a trail of whimpers. 

Back atop the cliff, Cody winked at Gwen, “Hey, Check this out!”

Cody took a running start, but before he got to the cliff he tripped over his feet. Trying to rebalance himself, he toppled forward, falling off the cliff, and hitting a rock on the way down. Luckily he landed in the safe Zone!

Another Brightside is that he didn’t embarrass himself in front of Gwen!

Downside is, the reason he didn’t embarrass himself in front of Gwen is because she ignored him!

Leshawna called out from the beach, “YOU GOOD, SHORTY?”

Cody gave a thumbs up, before climbing into the boat, trying to ignore his new found aches.

Gwen approached the cliff, looking down she muttered to herself, “This is So Lame….” 

She was then startled by a light nudge. She looked over to see Trent, smiling at her, “Guess we’re up.”

Gwen looked away to hide her fond smile before turning back to him with a scowl, “There’s no  _ We.  _ I’m Up.” She stepped closer to the edge, “So back up and Wait Your Turn.” 

With that she hopped off, screaming the whole way down, before landing safely in the water. Trent smiled down at her, “So Is It My ‘Turn’ Now?”

“SHUT UP AND JUMP!” She hollered back.

Trent let out a chuckle before he looked around to see if anyone was watching him at him. It seemed Trent had forgot the fact that people are watching him all the time, because he’s on a reality TV show. Feeling safe, he closed his eyes and quickly tapped his foot nine times, before joining Gwen at the bottom of the cliff. 

Justin jumped next. He glided through the air before entering the water with barely a splash. When he emerged he flipped his wet hair out of his face, and his muscles glittered in a truly stunning display. 

Or at least Trent and Gwen, who were still floating in the water, were thoroughly stunned.

“Wow…” They spoke in unison.

Beth approached the cliff nervously. 

* * *

Beth played with the heart shaped latches on her Overalls, as she avoided eye contact with the confession cam, “Of Courth I  _ Wanted  _ To Jump!” she explained, “I Wath the New Girl… I Didn’t want to give them any reasthon to be mad at me…”.

* * *

Beth tried convincing herself that this was completely safe, but she couldn’t fight the fear swirling in her soul. She took a deep breath to silence her anxiety, but it proved in vain as she backed away from the cliff. 

“I… I Can’t Do It…” She confessed. Looking up to Chris she explained, “I’m too Sthcared.” Chris pulled out a chicken hat, placing it on Beth's head as she called out to her team, “I’M THORRY!!!” 

Justin pushed back some of his hair as he spoke to his team, “I can’t believe that Bass Girl is Trying to Sabotage us.”

“Woah, c’mon I’m sure it’s not like that.” Cody frowned. 

Gwen watched as Beth rode the escalator down, “Wouldn’t Surprise Me.”

Noah and Owen looked down at the other campers, before Noah smirked up to the other boy, “If they could Do, We Can Do It.” His tone was ever monotonous, and somewhat sarcastic, but Owen had quickly figured out that that was just his voice. No what bothered Owen in this moment was that Noah was 100% Serious.

Noah walked towards the ledge, radiating unearned confidence, before jumping down to the circle below like it were nothing. Owen watched as the nerd popped out of the water, and waved up to the last camper. 

Owen Gulped.

“Okay Campers!” Chris called through a megaphone, “There’s Only One Camper Left! GOPHERS! You Need This For The Win!!” Chris then turned away from the megaphone to Owen, “No Pressure, dude.”

Owen let out a relieved sigh, before a megaphone was pushed into his face, “OKAY THERE’S PRESSURE!!” 

Owen went from relieved straight back to worried in record time. His team called up words of encouragement as he placed water floaties around his arms.

* * *

The shot cut to the confessionals, where Owen sat, “I was Pretty Darn Nervous.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “You see, I’m not a very strong Swimmer.”

* * *

Next was Duncan, carving a skull into the outhouse walls, “I was lookin’ at this guy, and I was thinkin’,” He turned to face the camera, amused, “There was no Way he was gonna make it!”

* * *

Following those kind words was Gwen, sitting with her hand in her lap as she stared at the camera, “I actually thought if he jumps this, He’s Gonna Die.”

* * *

Returning to the cliff, Owen walked away from the ledge to ready himself for a running start. As he turned to face back at Chris and his desired location, he decided to give himself a pep-talk, “I’m Going To Die Now. I’m Going To Freakin’ Die Now.”

Everyone’s attention was the top of that cliff as they waited in anticipation. 

“Come On Big Guy…” Noah muttered. 

Owen tightened his fist and closed his eyes, before taking a large breath in. He then let that breath out into a battle cry as he charged for the Cliff, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The next thing he knew was that he was plummeting off of a 1,000 foot cliff. He opened his eyes to see the fast approaching water, before crying out, “OOOOHH CRAAAAP!!!!”

Noah continued to float in the circle, smiling at his new friends accomplishment, before quickly realizing his new friend is very large, and that he his falling very fast, and Oh No This Is How He Dies. 

Owen crashed into the water causing a Huge wave to rise and soak his fellow campers. As he bobbed up to the surface, he slowly regained his bearings. Once he could officially confirm, that yes, he was alive, he began to cheer, “YES! YEAH!! WOOOO!!! OH YEAH!!!” He pumped his arms into the air, “WHO’S THE MAN!!!”

His team cheered for him as Chris called down, “THE WINNERS!!!!! THE SCREAMING GOPHERS!!!!!” 

The Owen Made Wave had carried Noah on top of the now overturned boat, from where he smiled “That was Awesome, dude.” Noah watched Owen look around the waters in search for something, furrowing his brow he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I, Uh,” Owen frowned as he searched, “I Think I Lost My Bathing Suit.”

The camera then zoomed out, getting one final view of the area as a chorus of disgust filled the air

* * *

After changing out of their swimsuits and drying off, The Gophers kept their lead as they pushed their Crate filled Carts across the sandy beach of Wawanakwa. 

In an attempt to redeem herself, Beth pulled a cart all by herself; an easy task for the friendly girl. Beth wasn’t the only one pulling by without help, though. Owen lugged his cart behind him with ease, though when they started pulling Noah was helping. 

Well, Noah was holding one of the handles.

Okay, so holding might not be the right word, but his hand was definitely touching it, for, like, a solid half minute!

But now the small boy took leisurely steps next to Owen, claiming he’ll give a hand when needed. 

Cody  _ tried  _ to pull one on his own to impress Gwen, but he was sorely lacking in the ‘Strength’ Department, and ended up, reluctantly, letting Izzy help. 

The last cart was being led by Leshawna and Lindsay, who trekked close to Beth; Lindsay and Beth chatting as they walked.

As for the others they walked without the pressure of work, which is something Justin prefers. He strolled along the shore line, once in a while checking his hair or admiring his smile. 

Heather moved forward, she walked as if she were leading the team, but she always walked like others were following. While Gwen trudged far behind with Trent, the two joking with one another, though Gwen would most certainly deny this. 

The task of pulling the crates quickly became mundane, and it didn’t take long after that for the team to start singing to pass the time.

“-49 BOTTLES OF POP ON THE WALL! 49 BOTTLES OF POP! IF ONE OF THOSE BOTTLES SHOULD HAPPEN TO FALL, 48 BOTTLES OF POP ON THE WALL!-”

All and all, the Gophers were off to a wonderful start.

The Bass Were Not.

* * *

The lagging team struggled to push their crates over the course sands of Wawanakwa. 

Ezekiel walked close to Harold as he carried the crate. Harold informed him that if he ever got tired, that he could pass the crate to him, though Ezekiel promised that wouldn’t be a problem.

Katie and Sadie pushed their crate while chatting and giggling, which was admittedly slowing them down. Especially since every now and then one of them would stop to gesture along with their story.

Ahead of them all was Eva and DJ, whose combined strength made the task much easier. Though having a better time actually moving the crates than the others, the two pushed in awkward silence. DJ tried to break the ice a couple times, but it would seem the ice surrounding Eva was too dense for his warm smile to melt. 

Lagging the furthest was Courtney, who had had Bridgette helping her, before the surfer grew distracted and ended up walking along with Geoff. 

Tyler had walked on ahead, claiming to be clearing a path for the others, while Duncan wandered around, bored.

Struggling with every push, Courtney’s and slid down the wood of the crate, “OW!” She backed away to examine her palm, “I think I Just Got a Splinter?”

Eva walked up to her, but not for comfort. Aggravated by the teams current speed, Eva lifted Courtney’s crate, locking eyes with freckled girl, “Shut Up, And Pick Up Your Pace!” Eva then dropped the crate in front of Courtney, “ _ Chicken.” _

Courtney gasped, “Hey! I’m the only one with C.I.T. Experience Here!” She looked towards everyone, growing nervous, “You need Me!”

Bridgette and Geoff shared a doubtful look, as Eva rolled her eyes and rejoined DJ at their Crate.

* * *

The Gophers continued their song, as Justin found a particularly reflective part of the lake and was almost left behind. Luckily he looked up and caught up with the others before he turned into a flower.

If only the Bass could have seen how much fun The Gophers were having…

Not that it would’ve helped, but it might have been funny.

* * *

Courtney leaned into her crate with her shoulder as she pushed. She did this while hoping that the infernal buzzing whirring around her head would stop, but it never did. The sound finally proved to be too much as she went to slay the annoying beast. Unfortunately in her frustration she wasn’t thinking straight, and smacked the insect into her eye. 

Today was not Courtney’s Day.

Duncan watched the entire exchange before snickering to himself, drawing Courtney’s attention. She turned to him, hands on her hips, “Well, Are You Just Going To Stand There, Or Are You Actually Going To Help.”

Duncan rolled his eyes under her stern gaze before glancing around. Locking eyes with the nearby woods, Duncan soon formulated an excuse. He smiled devilishly at the C.I.T., “Oh I’d Love To, Really,” he pointed to the woods as he walked to them, “But I’ve Gotta Wiz Like You Wouldn’t Believe, So...” 

“Fine.” Courtney crossed her arms, “You have three minutes.”

“ ‘Scuse Me?”

“To Go To The Bathroom.” She looked at him, “You Have Three Minutes.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re Not The Boss Of  _ Me _ , Alright, Chicken. So Get That Straight Right Now!”

Courtney locked eyes with Duncan, “Two and a Half Minutes.” 

Duncan's eyes widened as he jogged towards the woods. 

Courtney had always been the Go-To babysitter for Rambunctious Toddlers.

* * *

The Gophers song was interrupted by Heather calling out from her spot in front, “Everyone! We Made It To The Campgrounds!”

Everyone shined proud smiles as they looked over to the cabins. 

“That was pretty Easy!” Owen observed.

Noah smiled up at him, “I’m pleasantly surprised.”

* * *

No One On The Killer Bass Were Pleasantly Anything.

Eva and Courtney were waiting impatiently for Duncan to return, with his two and a half minutes almost up.

Standing there, Courtney’s eye started to get worse. She looked to Eva, “I think my Eye is Swelling Up!”

Eva glanced at her, confirming that it definitely was, before looking away uncaring.

As he waltzed out of the woods Duncn saw the two girls glares, invoking another eyeroll.

“Better?” Eva could have cared less.

“I was until I saw your  _ lovely _ faces.” 

Courtney gasped, offended, while Eva decided to show her offense in a different way. 

She grabbed his torso before holding him like the worst javelin and launching him through the air. Duncan soared high above his teams heads, screaming, before landing a good 20 feet ahead. 

One may assume that Eva found the comment, just a little, upsetting.

* * *

The Gophers good time seemed to have ended, with the team members gnawing and tugging with their mouths at the crates. 

“Remember!” Chris examined the team, “You guys can only use your Teeth to Open the crates!” He turned to the camera smiling, “I Came up with That One.”

Izzy had found a rope dangling from her crate, which she had clamped her teeth down onto. She growled as she tugged before noting the sudden ease of the pulls, “Hey!” she exclaimed through gritted teeth, “I think I Got It Open!”

And with that the four walls of the crate collapsed revealing Hot Tub parts! Instead of cheering, though, Izzy brought her hands up to her mouth in pain, “Ow! Rope Burn On My Tongue!”

* * *

“Uhg…” Katie whined, “This is taking, like … Forever…”

Sadie nodded, “Oh I Know right? Like, this is so Hard.”

“Totally Hard!”

Ezekiel walked over to the girls, smiling, before grabbing their crate, “Oh, hey, Let me get that for you, eh!” He lifted it up and placed atop his original crate. 

“Oh, no, that’s ok!” Katie smiled, apologetic.

“Yeah, we super don’t mind helping!” Sadie added.

“It’s, like, Really no Problem!”

Ezekiel began to push the two crates as he spoke to the best friends, “Don’t worry about it! My Dad always told me to Help Out when I see a Lady in need, Eh.”

As Harold rushed over to help Ezekiel push the added weight, Sadie and Katie looked around, realizing they no longer had anything to do. Katie’s eyes landed on the Struggling Courtney, before turning to her best friend and giving her a small nudge. Sadie looked to Katie with interest as the taller girl nodded in Courtneys direction. Understanding immediately, the two approached her, and began to help. 

“What are you doing?” Courtney asked.

“You, like, looked like you needed help!” Katie smiled.

Sadie nodded, “You’re like, the only one without a partner plus you hurt your eye and junk, and since, like, we don’t have a crate anymore…”

“I thought, ‘Oh My Gosh! Why Don’t We Help Courtney!”

“And I was Like, ‘That’s Such An Awesome Idea!’” 

Courtney looked between the two, hesitantly.

* * *

The C.I.T sat in the confessional, “Of course I wanted the help! I was the only one without someone helping! That being said, was accepting their help an admittance of weakness?” Courtney brough her hand up to her chin in thought, “Though, there is strength in numbers, and it wouldn’t hurt to make a few allies early on…”

* * *

Courtney smiled at them, “Thanks.” 

As Sadie and Katie smiled their acknowledgments, Chris rolled up in a dune buggy. “You guys are Way Behind the Other Team!” He looked over them, “Like, WAY Behind. What’s the Problem?”

Courtney looked over her crate to glare at Chris, “Of Course We’re Behind! The Other Team Had  _ Pull Carts!!!!! _ ”

Chris smirked as he turned to face her, “And whose fault would That B-” his sentence was interrupted by the sight of Courtney’s eye, swelled and throbbing. He recoiled in disgust, “Oh My Boxers, That’s Bad!!”

Courtney quickly and defensively reached up to her eye, before ducking back behind her crate to continue to push.

* * *

The Screaming Gophers had successfully opened all of their crates, and were currently shifting through them.

Owen pulled out a couple 2 x 4’s before happily proclaiming “Hey! Check it out!” He turned to his team, “I’ve got Wood!”

Trent rummaged through his own crate before showing off his findings, “I’ve got some tools, and what Looks like a Pool Liner!” 

Leshawna was searching her crate when Heather walked up to her. Heather was squinting at the sun, before pulling her sunglasses down, and smiling at the other girl, “Hey, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about causing a scene earlier and getting all in your face.” She ran her hand through her hair, “That was Totally Not cool.” She looked Leshawna up and down, “And between you and me: Love Your Necklace!”

Leshawna smiled, bringing her hand up to her complemented jewelry, “For Real?” She rubbed the back of her neck, “Well, I’m sorry for pushing you off the cliff and all.”

“No worries,” Heather waved her hand, “I needed a push.” She turned to leave before looking back to Leshawna, “And if anyone deserves to be in charge,” she smiled, “It’s You.”

Leshawna shook her head, “Nah, girl, it ain’t like that. We’re a Team. No ones bossing No one Around. “ She smiled at Heather, “So if you got something to say, Say it, and we’ll hear you out.”

Heather smiled back, though something was different about it, something calculated, “Ok. I Will.” She extended her hand to shake, “So, we’re good?”

Leshawna smacked her palm before colliding the back of their hands together in a friendly gesture, “Yeah. We Good.”

The Girls then turned away from each other to continue their work, both feeling a little better about the day, but neither for the same reasons

* * *

By the time the Killer Bass arrived on the campgrounds, the Gophers had already begun Hot Tub construction. 

Harold, who upon helping Ezekiel push quickly realized he wasn’t as strong as he previously thought, let out a sigh as he fell to the ground, “Finally.” 

Leshawna smiled to the other team, “Hey, what’s up y’all.” She rested her hand on her hip, “You Bass treatin’ our girl right over there?”

Katie waved at Leshawna before Courtney piped up, “Definitely!” she forced a confident smile, “Us Bass Are Like A Well Oiled Machine!”

“That’s good to hea-” As Leshawna switched her attention from Katie to Courtney her eyes widened in shock, “Oooo- What Happened To Your Eye, Girl?”

Courtney quickly covered her eye, “Nothing!” she turned away, “Just an Allergy!”

Bridgette approached her before reaching out to carefully move Courtney’s hand and get a better look, “I think it’s getting worse…” 

Courtney recoiled away, before hushing her, “ _ We Don’t Want  _ Them  _ To Know That!”  _ she whispered.

The Bass looked at the other team’s lead helplessly, before Eva climbed onto a crate and called out to them. “Alright Everyone! Sit Down, Shut Up, And Listen!” She tightened her hand into a fist, “We May Be Behind,” she then slammed her fist into her other palm, “But That Doesn’t mean we’ve lost!” her fist then rose to the air triumphantly, “NOW LET’S SHOW THOSE GOPHERS WHAT WE’RE MADE OF!” 

The camera then switched it’s view from the powerful image of a rallying Eva, to the more pathetic sight of the rest of the team. 

Harold had fallen asleep on the cabin stairs, worn out from the pushing two crates. Katie and Sadie stood next to the stairs, completely oblivious to Eva’s epic speech as the continued to chat. The final sorry sight Eva was greeted with was Ezekiel, who looked zoned out as he dug around deep in his nose. 

Courtney, who had the misfortune of sitting next to him, flinched away, “Eww…”

Ezekiel popped his finger out of his nose before wiping it’s findings on his jeans, “What?

Bridgette, who saw the whole thing, brought her hand to her mouth in disgust, “That’s really gross….”

Eva took in all of these interactions before leaping off the crate, “Nevermind. We’re a lost Cause.”

Courtney didn’t believe in lost causes’.

She stood up, placing her hands proudly onto her hips as she looked out towards everyone, “Okay, Look Guys, We Have a Hot Tub to Complete, and We Need a Project Manager.” She brought her thumb up to point at herself, “Since I’ve Actually  _ Been  _ a C.I.T. Before, I’m Electing Myself. Any Objections?”

The team glanced at one another before Duncan spoke up, “Where Do We Begin,  _ Cyclops. _ ” 

Courtney responded by jutting her finger into his face, “Open The Crates.”

The Gophers worked quickly and seamlessly, with the help of Trent’s tool knowledge and Cody’s surprising building prowess. They moved together like freshly oiled gears in a recently crafted machine.

The Bass’ machine, on the other hand, had clearly seen better days. People were reaching for the same tool, then arguing about who got it first. People were struggling with the concept of how one would put wood together to make something. Others were misplacing nails, or spilling water on their way to fill an incomplete tub.

It was a Mess.

As they reached ‘Completion’, Courtney put on the finishing touches of Duct Taping anywhere water was leaking. 

She Almost Ran Out Of Duct Tape.

Chris approached the two tubs, with the intent to begin judging. 

He eyed The Gophers tub closely, knocking lightly against the wood and dipping his finger into the water to check the temperature. 

Pleased with his findings he rose his arms in exclamation, “This Is An AWESOME Hot Tub!” 

The Gophers cheered, but they hadn’t won yet.

I mean, They obviously won, but it wasn’t official.

The Bass were  _ Really  _ Bad At This.

More like The Killer BAD am I Right?

HA! GOTT’EM! 

I Digress.

Chris approached The Bass’ Tub hesitantly, eyeing the team with a quirked brow. He knocked on the wood, just as he did to The Gophers’, but unlike The Gophers water squirted out. 

Chris Shook his head, “Well, I Think-” he was interrupted by the The Killer Bass Hot Tub giving up, falling apart with depressed Sploosh. The host lifted his foot up away from the sudden growing puddle, before taking a step back and continuing his thought, “I Think We Have a Winner here.” Chris looked between both team, instilling a sadistic feeling of hope into the Killer Bass that he then took joy in ripping back, “The Screaming Gophers!”

The Gophers let out their celebratory cheers as The Bass hung their heads in shame. 

“Gophers, You’re safe from elimination, AND you get to Rock this Awesome Hot Tub for the Rest Of The Summer!!” He turned to the camera, pointing, “BONUS!” 

The winning team continued to cheer, as Chris turned to the losers, “Killer Bass, What Can I Say? Sucks To Be You Right Now.” He Smiled, shooting a finger gun in their direction, “I’ll see Your Sorry Butts at the Bonfire Tonight.”

Lindsay brought her arms up in celebration, “We Won! We All Get To Stay Her For Another  _ Three  _ Days!!!” She then turned and wrapped her arms around Beth as the two Cheered together. 

“WOOOOOOO~” Owen did a little victory dance as he sang, “We Get To Stay-ay! We Get To Stay-ay!” He ran over to the girls to join their celebration, wrapping them up in a hug of his own, “We Are So Awesome! We Won The Contest!”

Lindsay smiled brightly up at Owen as Beth let out a glee-filled giggle.

* * *

Melancholy filled the air on the Bass’ side of the Lodge.

Sadie looked around before breaking the silence, “So What Now?”

“We Have To Figure Out Who We’re Going To Vote Off.” Courtney explained.

“Well, I think it Should be Princess.” Duncan jutted a thumb in Courtney’s direction, causing her to gasp, “Or, The Brickhouse, here.” He brought his other thumb up into DJ direction, causing the large boy to frown. 

“What!?” Courtney looked at Duncan, “Why?”

Duncan crossed his arms as he explained, “Because, ‘less I’m mistakin’, your the only two with Chicken Hat’s. And if we ever have to lift a Truck, “Duncan smiled as he patted DJ’s chest, “I like our chances with the Big Guy.” 

DJ’s smile was back, as Courtney tried to defend her case, “But You Guys Need Me! I’m The Only One Who Used-”

Bridgette rolled her eyes, “We  _ Know.  _ Who used to be a  _ Real  _ C.I.T.” She rested her head in her hand, “So, Who would You Pick.” 

Courtney wasn’t really sure. She was so positive that her team was going to come out on top, she hadn’t given it a lot of thought. She looked between her teammates and decided to go with the one without any Bass Bonds, “What about Him!”

Tyler's eyes widened as her finger lander on him, uncertain of what he’s done to deserve this. 

Lindsay overheard the conversation, causing her to leap out of her seat crying out “NOOOOOOOOO!!!!” 

The clanging of silverware against plates suddenly ceased, as all attention shifted towards the blonde. Lindsay looked back at everyone before glancing around nervously searching for a cover, “No…. Salt.”  _ Nice. _ “There’s No Salt… On The Table.” She sat back down, playing with her hair, “Bummer….” 

“Hey! At least he Jumped off the Cliff, Chicken Wing.” Duncan pointed out.

Flustered, Courtney came back with the ever thoughtful response of “Shut Up!”

The vibes were getting way too rocky for the Geoff-ster to handle, leading him to interject, “Ok,” He placed himself between the two, hands up, “Let’s just Chill Out. Things are getting Way Too Heavy.”

Duncan sighed before pushing his bowl of glop away, “I’ve had enough Prison Food for one Day.” He stood up, “I’m gonna go take a Nap.”

As he walked away Courtney called after him, desperate, “Wait! You can’t Do That! We Haven’t Decided Who’s Going Yet!”

Ezekiel shook his head in thought, “I Just Don’t Understand How We Lost, Eh.” He looked to the enemy team, “They’re the ones with Six Girls.”

Sadie and Katie gasped, shocked, while Bridgette and Eva approached Ezekiel. 

Bridgette leaned on the table in uncharacteristic rage, “What’s  _ That  _ Supposed to Mean?” 

“Yeah, Homeschool,” Eva slammed her fist down onto the table in very characteristic rage, “Enlighten Us!” 

Ezekiel smiled, happy to shed some light, “Well, it’s just that Guys are Much Stronger and Better at Sports than Girls Are.”

DJ covered his face in disbelief, while Geoff shook his head, amazed that this was even happening. “Ooooooh Man,” Geoff ran his hand under his hat as he watched the train wreck unfold, “He Did  _ Not  _ Just Say That!”

Ezekiel looked around at his teams disapproving looks, before explaining himself, “My Dad Told Me to Look Out for the Girls Around Here, Eh,” he punctuated his though by tapping a point onto the table, “And Help ‘em Incase They Can’t Keep Up.”

Bridgette backed off the table, taking in the situation. She’s always tried to keep it mellow, but there were certain things that she just couldn’t abide by. 

Eva also tried to keep things mellow, but with a much lower success rate.

She gripped her fingers around Ezekiel's neck, hoisting him into the air like he weighed nothing, “Still Think We Need Your Help ‘Keeping Up’?”

Ezekiel clutched at his neck, fear in his eyes, as he choked out “Not.. Really..”

Losing the vibes once more, Geoff jumped in, “Ok, Guys, Let’s Give him A Break!” Bridgette stuffed her hands into her pockets, still fuming, while Eva dropped Ezekiel to the floor, “At least he Doesn’t Think That Guys are Smarter than Girls.”

Ezekiel rose up from the floor, confused “But… They Are….”

Way To Read The Room, Buddy.

* * *

With night came the elimination Ceremony.

The team filled every stump, but that would soon change. It felt like every girl was glaring at Ezekiel as Geoff patted him on the Shoulder, “You’ve got a lot to learn about the Real World, my Guy.”

Chris looked among the losing team, his charming smile nowhere in sight “Killer Bass.” He showed them a tray of sweet treats, “At camp Marshmallows represent a Tasty Treat that You enjoy Roasting By The Fire.” He held one in his hand as he continued, “At This Camp they Represent Life.” 

Geoff stretched as he listened to Chris’ speech; he caught sight of Bridgette staring off into the distance, taking his current position to his advantage he tipped his hat and winked at her. Bridgette turned away, trying to suppress her charmed giggle. 

Chris continued on, “You’ve all Cast Your Votes and Made Your Decision. There are Only Ten Marshmallows Here Tonight. When I Call Your Name, Come Up and Claim Your Marshmallow.” 

“The Camper Who Does Not Receive a Marshmallow Tonight Must Immediately Return to the Dock Of Shame and Board The Boat of Losers.” Chris pointed at the team, “That Means You’re Out Of The Contest. And You Can’t Come Back.  _ Ever.” _

“The First Marshmallow Goes To… Geoff.” 

Geoff jumped up out of his seat as he presented his cooking stick to the Host. Chris pricked the Marshmallow on top before continuing.

“DJ.” 

DJ let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he followed Geoff to retrieve his prize.

“Bridgette.”

Bridgette walked up to the host, Sharing smiles with her other two confirmed team mates. 

“Tyler.” 

Tyler cheered, “WOO! PLACE AT THE TABLE!” He then ran up accepting his Marshmallow.

"Sadie.”

Sadie wrapped her fingers around Katies as the duo waited in anticipation.

Chris smiled, “Katie.” 

The best friends squealed in delight as they ran up to claim their sweet treat.

“Harold.”

“Yes!” Harold pumped his fist in celebration before joining his team.

“Duncan.”

Duncan approached the others, leaving two Bass Behind.

But Only One had a Designated Marshmallow.

Only One Had a Spot on the Team.

Only One Had A Chance at The $100,000.

Courtney and Ezekiel sat far from each other, but emotionally they couldn’t be closer. Chris eyed them, “Campers,” He held his plate towards them with a lone Marshmallow, “This is the Final Marshmallow of the Evening.”

Ezekiel's nerves got to him as he began to shake.

Courtney tried to stay strong, but she knew they had good cases against her. 

Ezekiel looked between his fellow campers and his current competition, helpless to the upcoming result.

Courtney held worried hands to her mouth as she waited anxiously.

Their Hearts raced in a strange union as Chris looked between the two.

So different, yet they stand humbly shaken on the same chopping block.

The only thing standing between them and the cruel axe of fate was a Single Fluffy Marshmallow.

Chris’ uncaring eyes drifted between the two lingering contestants before speaking:

“Courtney.”

All of Courtney’s worries rolled off her as she ran up to receive her Marshmallow, leaving a dejected Ezekiel alone among the stumps.

“Can’t say I’m Shocked.” Chris pointed at the lone boy, “I Saw you Pickin’ Your Nose, Dude. Not Cool.” The host approached Ezekiel gesturing for him to move, “Dock of Shame is That-A-Way, Bro.”

And with that “The Home Schooled Guy” was Out, leaving Twenty-One Teens behind.

Twenty of Which Destined to Follow him.

Chris turned to the remaining members of The Killer Bass, “The rest of You, Enjoy Your Marshmallows. Your All Safe.” A devilish grin spread across his face, “For Tonight.”

* * *

Back at the campgrounds, The Screaming Gophers were partying hard with their new Hot Tub. They were even supplied with music to groove to, for just tonight.

Floating in the water, Trent, Lindsay, Beth, Heather and Justin all sat around Cody as he brought his juice box up into a toast, “To The Screaming Gophers!” 

Cody’s entourage cheered, “THE SCREAMING GOPHERS!” 

As the air filled with Gopher laughter and the thud of party beats, Leshawna apoached Gwen, who sat upon the highest step of the Cabin doodling in her sketch pad. “Hey, Girl.”

Gwen jumped, before frowning at the interruption, “What.”

“I Just wanted to Say Thank You, For Earlier.” She began, “Y’know, For havin’ my back and All.”

Gwen rolled her eyes, “I Didn’t have anyones ‘Back.’” She looked back to her drawing, “I was just making a point.”

“Well I Appreciated it.” 

“Whatever.” 

Leshawna turned to leave before Gwen added a quick, “You’re Welcome.”

Countering the happy sounds and rhythms radiating from the east side of the grounds, were the Bass, walking towards their cabin in the west.

They hung their heads low in hopes of tuning out The Gophers victory party, but it was all in vain. The knowledge that their fun was likely to keep them up all night was probably the worst of it, though.

Better luck next time.

They’re Gonna Need It.

* * *

* * *

Heather sat in the confessional; checking her lipstick in her compact mirror she mused, “Can you Believe how easy it was to get that Leshawna girl to forgive me?” She let out a small chuckle, “Hasn’t she ever  _ Seen  _ one Of these shows before?” 

Heather snapped her mirror closed turning to the camera, smiling a smile that held no kindness, “This is gonna be Easier than I Thought.”

* * *


	3. The Big Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendships are formed; Alliances are Made; And the Seeds of Drama are Planted.

The sun hung lazily in the sky while the island below basked in its warm morning light.

Chris walked towards the cabins, a megaphone in his hand and the devil's own smile on his face. Stopping between the two cabins, Chris brought the megaphone to his lips and took in a deep breath.

Chris then reached into his pockets, and shoved an air-horn between his lips and the megaphone. The air-horn let out a high pitched screech that rang through the still morning air.

Leshawna shot up in shock, wacking her head on the bunk above hers. She grabbed her alarm clock and gawked at the number shining back at her, “It’s 7 In The Morning?!?” Leshawna searched out the window for the culprit, “Do I _Look_ Like A _Farmer_ To You?!?” 

“Morning, Lethawna!” She looked over to where she heard her name and saw Beth, fully clothed, sitting on the cabin steps.

* * *

* * *

Beth chuckled at the camera, “I Don’t know what farmerth Lethawna hangth out with, but My parentth would have KILLED Me if I sthlept in ‘til _Stheven_!”

* * *

* * *

The teens stood in front of Chris, most of them still groggy. 

Eva stood amongst her fellow Bass, trying to wake herself up with some poppin’ work-out tunage. She stood proudly, lightly thumping her head to the beat, the cords to her earbuds rocking with each shake. The music was turned up so that it poured out of her ears for those surrounding to listen. 

One boy did listen, and he was interested.

Duncan eyed Eva, following her headphone wire to her pocket. Checking to make sure that his movement would go unseen, he went in for the swipe. His fingers hovered carefully over her pocket before a strong hand gripped his wrist. He looked up and was met with a face filled with feral rage and a rumbling growl that would make the greatest Grizzly Cower. Duncan fell back with a gasp, and Eva followed after him with a firm stomp, causing him to scurry quickly away.

* * *

* * *

“Just for the Record,” Duncan gave a hard sniff, causing his nose ring to glint in the dim light of the outhouse, “I Wasn’t _Scared,_ Alright.” He looked over his shoulder in an effort to seem nonchalant, “Any Criminal worth his Salt can tell ya’,” He looked back at the camera, jutting his thumb back to illustrate his point, “If you Get Caught, You Scram!” He Shrugged, “It’s That Simple.”

* * *

* * *

Back in front of the cabins, Duncan stood close to DJ, trembling as Eva removed one earbud to better listen to Chris.

“Morning! Hope you Slept Well!” Chris smiled towards the zombies before him. 

“Hi Chris.” Heather smiled back, “You look Really Buff in those Shorts.”

“I Know!” with a finger gun and a wink. Chris moved on, “Okay, I hope you’re all Ready because your Next Challenge Begins in Exactly,” he brought his watch up to his face, “One Minute!” 

Owen switched from tired to distressed, “Oh, Um, Excuse Me!” He wrung his hands nervously with a matching smile, “ I Don’t Know If That’s Enough Time For Breakfast?”

“Oooooh, you’ll get Breakfast, Owen…” The boy smiled, thankful, before he and the rest of the campers were surprised once more, “Right After You Complete Your 20 Kilometer Run Around The Lake!”

“Oh? So You’re _Funny Now_ ?” Eva tightened her fists as she approached the host, “You Know What I’d Think Would Be _Funny_?!” Eva began to raise her fist, readying her punchline. 

Before we could hear what epic Zinger awaited Chris, Bridgette hopped out in front of her, “Woah, Dude!” She held her hands up, stopping Eva, “It’s Not Worth It.”

Eva looked to Bridgette, then to Chris, then back to Bridgette, before letting out a sigh and nodding. Bridgette placed a friendly hand on Eva’s shoulder before leading her back to the others; though the jock still shot a hate filled glare toward the host.

* * *

* * *

Bridgette sat on the confessional’s toilet, “Yeah, Eva has a Tendency to…. Explode. ” She threw her hands up in defense, “But, It’s never out of Nowhere, Ya Know? Like, people keep getting in her space, or touching her stuff even though she’s asked them not too.” Bridgette placed one hand into her lap as she continued to gesture with the other, “Not that that makes it okay to threaten to ‘Bend Someone Into A Pretzel’, but It’s Not _NOT_ Understandable, Right?” Bridgette sighed before smiling at the camera, “Besides, So far, when she’s not trying to kill someone she seems pretty chill! I think she just needs some help to find that Zen!”

She shined a proud smirk, “Besides, You saw how she handled Zeke. If you didn't think that was Rad, I Don't Know What To Tell You.”

* * *

* * *

The campers were lined up to start the dreaded race.

“OKAY RUNNERS!” Chris addressed the group, “ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! GO!!”

Some campers took off like lightning, others ran at a steady pace, the rest meandered behind, refusing to accept this reality.

Furthest away was Heather, as she surveyed the others.

  
  


* * *

* * *

Heather sat in the stall, “To Win One Of These Show’s, You Need a Strategy. Which, Of course, I Have. Step one is simple: Get Everyone on My Team To Like Me, So That They Don’t Vote Me Off.” she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “This Step is The Easiest.” She smiled at the camera, “I’m Very Charming."

* * *

* * *

Heather jogged up to Gwen’s side before slowing to her pace, “Hi! Gwen, Right?”

Gwen didn’t acknowledge her.

Heather cleared her throat, “So, Can You Believe They’re Making Us Run?”

Gwen continued to walk forward.

Heather lost her facade for a moment, before choking down whatever she wanted to say and continued with this instead, “They Have Got To Be Kidding? Running? In These Wedges? I Don’t Think So!”

Gwen finally looked up to Heather, “Don’t Walk So Close To Me.”

These words stopped Heather in her tracks as she let out an offended gasp.

* * *

Bridgette and Eva ran in a comfortable silence

* * *

* * *

Eva sat in the confessional, “I Kinda Wish She’d Back Off, You Know?” She gestured to herself, “I’m Not Here To Make Friends.” She leaned back before continuing, “Though, She Does Annoy Me Less than Everybody Else Here. So I Guess I Should Consider Myself Lucky That it’s her and Not, Like…. I Don’t Know, That Chicken Girl?” She paused, thinking. "And I Guess I Should Be Thankful That She's Helped Me Keep My Cool These Last Few Days. Usually I Would Have Put One Of These Punks In The _Infirmary_ By Now. " Her fist collided into her palm to punctuate the thought.

* * *

* * *

The two girls trudged through a large puddle when Bridgette stopped abruptly. She heard rustling over her head, but when she searched the trees she found nothing but green leaves and summer breeze. Eva, noticing a sudden lack of blond surfer at her side, popped out an ear bud and turned to the girl, quirking her brow.

Bridgette shook her head, and started to jog once more, “Sorry, I Thought I Heard Something.”

“If You Stop Again, I’m Not Waiting For You.”

“Noted.” She smiled.

Before the girls could return to their peaceful run, the rustling above their heads returned. It grew more and more intense, climaxing into Bridgette grabbing Eva’s arm, “Dude! Something Happening!” 

Eva had noticed the movement, but wasn’t about to be startled by a woodland creature or some stupid teen. She stopped, stance strong, once again removing her earbud, she huffed at the overhead trees, unthreatened, “SHOW YOURSELF!” she demanded.

And with that the shaking branches stopped. The air was still as the two girls took in their surroundings. Quiet and calm, as a morning should be. The girls began to run once more, but they were stopped by the sudden appearance of a familiar redhead.

Familiar though she was, it took a moment for her face to register to the girls, causing them both to let out forest shaking screams. As Bridgette recoiled back, Eva instinctively brought her fist up for a good old fashioned Fight Response. To her shock, the target moved effortlessly and swiftly out of the way, laughing.

Bridgette blinked, “Izzy?”

Flipping out of the tree, Izzy continued to laugh, “Oh My Gosh!! You Guys Should Have SEEN Your Faces!!!! You Guys Were Like” She twisted her face in mock fear “ ‘AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!’” as her laughter calmed to a chuckle, Izzy wiped away a tear, “Literally, SO Funny!”

Eva growled, tightening her fists, before being stopped by a carefully placed hand on her shoulder. The owner of the hand spoke, “Why… Were You In The Trees?”

Izzy rested her hands on her hips, “If You _Must_ Know,” she turned to walk towards the finnish line, “I’ve already ran around the lake three times. So, for my Fourth I thought I’d Mix Things Up And Run _on top_ Of The Trees!” She looked back at them, “I mean, What Else was I Supposed to do?”

Eva crossed her arms, ““You Did _Not_ Run Around The Lake _Three_ Times Already.” She glared “Do You Think I’m _Stupid_ or Something?”

“Oh, I’m Sorry?” Izzy started laughing to herself, before turning sharply to face Eva, “Were You There? No? Thought So.” 

“No I wasn’t there.” She growled, “Because It _Didn’t Happen!_ ”

“Agree To Disagree.”

Eva once again approached Izzy with the intent to destroy, before Bridgette's hands quickly found their place on her shoulders. The jock huffed, shaking off the hands and placing her ear-bud back into place, “I Don’t Have Time For This.”

“KAY, BYYYE!!!” Izzy waved at the two girls as they ran off, before leaping back into the tree.

* * *

As time passed, more and more campers met in the main lodge.

It had been what felt like Hours since a new camper had arrived, as the others were forced to wait to eat. Chris seemed unbothered by the delay as he happily filed his nails. 

A tired quiet hung in the air, before being torn down by a very distressed Owen. 

Owen kicked the door open screaming, “CLEAR A TABLE, STAT!” 

Everyone jumped as they looked to Owen, who had a seemingly unconscious Noah draped over his shoulder. As the large boy scrambled to the Gophers table, an exhausted Leshawna and a slow Gwen trailed behind. Leshawna fell to her knees, catching her breath, “Oh. We Made It!” 

Owen pumped his hands against the smaller boy's chest as the rest of the team watched on worried. Gwen looked to Chris, “If he Dies, Do We Win?”

“Woah,” Trent frowned, “Harsh.” 

Heather nodded, “Gwen’s right.” She looked to Chris, “If one of our teammates dies, we should get Some Kind of Compensation.” 

Chris rolled his eyes, “Fine. If He Dies You Guys Win The Challenge.” 

Heather smiled at Gwen, who ignored it. 

Izzy then leapt into the Lodge “WOO! Hey everyone, Sorry I’m Late!” She dusted herself off, causing her flannel to slip off her waist. As she tied it back, she explained, “You see, I ran into this bear, and he challenged me to a fight, so obviously I couldn’t back down.”

Trent raised an eyebrow, “The... Bear Challenged You?”

Izzy nodded, “Uh huh. I Know Because I Speak Bear.” To prove it, she let out a gurgling roar.

Eva rolled her eyes, “You run into it on your fourth or fifth lap?”

“Sixth, Actually.”

As the others not preoccupied with a passed out friend, shared questioning glances, Courtney stood impatiently at the door. Harold stumbled in, gasping for air. Struggling to breath he leaned against the door frame, clutching his chest, though Courtney seemed unphased, “What Took You So Long?!?” as Harold leaned over and brought a second hand to his chest, Courtney crossed her arms, “We Just Lost The Challenge!”

Harold gasped out, “I Think I’m Having Heart Palpitations!” before falling to the ground.

Justin looked up at the commotion, “Hey.. Wait a minute… If they Lost then…” Justin brought his hands up as he calculated the results, before turning a beautiful smile to his team, “That Means We Won!” 

The Screaming Gophers paused in thought, before cheering. Even Noah sat up in victory, as if the goddess Nike herself came down and cured him!

Or he was faking.

He Was Probably Faking.

“Woah, There!” Chris called through the cheers, “Hold Your Horses, Guys! That Wasn’t The Challenge!” 

Gwen frowned, “What Did He Just Say?”

Before anyone could answer her Chris pulled back a large curtain, “Who’s Hungry?”

Behind the curtain was a feast fit for a king. Gravy, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls and So Much More.

  
  
  


* * *

* * *

DJ sat in the confessional, awestruck, “After goin’ so long without real food,” He held a hand to his mouth, trying not to choke up, “I Almost _Cried_ When I Saw That Buffet.”

* * *

* * *

  
  


* * *

* * *

“And Then I Saw It!” Owen beamed, “The Buffet Table! There was Turkey, and Baked Beans, And Maple Syrup!” All of this seemed to overwhelm the boy as a tear began trailing down his cheek, “Can I Have A Minute?” 

The confessional closed on Owen crying the sweetest tears of joy.

* * *

* * *

  
  
  


The campers had torn into every scrap, with growing regret. No bowl went un-licked as the Twenty-One Campers lay groaning with newfound stomach pain. 

Before anyone could recover, Chris leaped onto the wasteland of a buffet table, yelling through his megaphone, “ALRIGHT CAMPERS! TIME FOR PART TWO OF YOUR CHALLENGE!!!”

Owen looked up at Chris, face covered in a mixture of Gravy and Confusion, “I Thought Eating Was The Second Part?”

“What more do you want from us?” Katie cried.

“Haven’t we, like, Been Through Enough?” Sadie added.

Chris turned from his megaphone as he spoke, “Umm, Let Me Think About That…” A devilish smile crawled onto his face as he brought the megaphone back to his mouth, “NO!” He gestured wide with his free arm to introduce the next challenge, “It’s Time For The Awake-A-Thon!!”

Lindsay frowned, turning to her teammates in confusion, “The What-a-thon?”

“Don’t Worry!” Chris leaped off the table and approached Lindsay, still speaking through the megaphone, “This Is An Easy One! The Team With The Last Camper Standing Wins Invincibility!”

Eva frowned as she put together Chris’ plan, “So, What You’re saying is that The 20K Run and the Turkey Eating Frenzy was all Some Twisted Scheme To Make It Harder For Us To Stay Awake?”

Chris smiled, “That’s Right, Eva!”

The Jock growled, upset by the situation when Bridgette put a preemptive calm hand on the girl's shoulder. Eva crossed her arms as the blonde noted, “Man, he’s good.” 

Eva gave a humph as reply.

“MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!” Chris called out.

The campers began to file out of the lodge, aggravated, full, and tired.

Trent made his way over to Gwen, “So, how long do you think it will be before everyone is out Cold?” 

Gwen glanced up at the boy, debating whether or not she wanted to answer. “About an Hour, Give or Take.” Trent nodded, thinking the statement over as an exhausted Harold trudged pass. Gwen watched the dweeb shuffle by in a sleepy daze, before she added, “Maybe Less.”

Oh, how wrong Gwen Was.

* * *

###  _[11:59:54]_

Each camper sat in stubborn boredom around the unlit campfire pit. Morning faded into afternoon as the sun grew hotter. The summer heat only made the teens more sleepy, and yet they refused to succumb to such a fate so easily.

**_-11 Gophers-_ **

**_-10 Bass-_ **

Noah sat cross legged on a stump, His cheek resting in his palm, as he watched Owen attempt to keep his energy up, “WOO- HOO! Stay Awake For Twelve Hours?” Owen slammed his fist into his palm, “I Could Do That In My Sleep!”

Noah’s face remained unchanged, but he spoke with the smallest hint of amusement, “Gonna take a wild guess, and say that counts as 'Falling Asleep'.” 

Gwen watched the two boys' antics before letting out a gothic sigh.

  
  


* * *

* * *

Gwen stared at the camera with her signature scowl, “The Awake-A-Thon was definitely The Most Brutal Thing I have ever done in My Life.”

* * *

* * *

Gwen sat hunched over, letting out a small yawn, “This is The Most Boring Thing I have ever done in My Life.”

Trent echoed her yawn, “It could be way worse.”

“Oh yeah?” Gwen turned to him, “How?”

He smiled, “I could be stuck here without you to talk to.”

Gwen turned away to hide her smile and blush, before extending her arm and giving him a playful nudge, “Dude, shut up.”

Trent laughed as the camera panned over to Leshawna and Cody. 

Cody watched Gwen dreamily, before turning to Leshawna, “I’m gonna Talk To Her!”

Leshawna yawned, then smiled at the boy, “You should.”

Cody smiled, “Yeah? You Think I Got A Shot?”

“Do you want me to be honest?”

Cody thought about the question before turning back to her, smiling “No.”

She nudged his shoulder, “Absolutely, man!” Her voice was some parody of encouragement, “You’re a total Lady Killer!”

"Thanks, Leshawna.” Cody stood up with confidence, with the goal of walking over to Gwen, before that confidence had better things to do and left him to sit back down. He turned to Leshawna, desperate, “Will You Be My Wing-Man?”

Leshawna smiled, “I Gochu.”

Cody and Leshawna walked over to Trent and Gwen, sitting on the ground in front of them. Trent smiled down at them, “Hey, guys.”

“How you two doin’ over here?” asked Leshawna.

“Tired.” Gwen huffed.

“Mmm-Hmm, I feel that,” Leshawna began, “A Girl Needs her Beauty Sleep, Ya Know What I’m Sayin’?”

“Or any sleep,” Gwen yawned, “I haven’t gotten any sleep since the show started.” She complained, before counting on her fingers all that was wrong, “Between the Drafty Cabin; The Cushionless Spring Beds; and Beth’s Snoring, I can barely get my Eyes shut before morning.”

Leshawna nodded, familiar with the problems when Trent spoke, “Try sleeping next to Owen; I swear the guy’s snores shake the whole Cabin.”

Leshawna waved her hand, smiling “Man, you’re full of it.”

Trent laughed, “No Way! You guys seriously don’t hear it?” Trent turned to Cody, “C’mon, Man Back me up!” 

Cody was staring at Gwen before Trent's words shook him from his daze, “Uh, Yeah, Totally!” 

“See?” 

“Not our fault you’re both dramatic.” Gwen explained.

Trent chuckled again. The four sat in silence before Gwen let out another yawn, which made its way around the other three campers sitting with her.

“Alright, someone say somethin’ else before I fall asleep!” Leshawna instructed.

“Uh, Gwen!” Cody took this as an opportunity, “Wh-What Kind Of Things Do You Like Doing?” 

Gwen stared at him. Is this what she was doing now? Small Talk with Geeks? Might as well. “I don’t know.” She started, “I like to draw.”

Cody’s face lit up, “No Way Me Too!” He then tried to calm his voice into as cool a sound as he could, “We have, like, So Much In Common.”

Gwen rolled her eyes, while Leshawna smiled at the boy, “That’s Really cool. What do you Draw?”

Cody turned to Leshawna, continuing to try and sound cool, “Ya know, like portraits and stuff... “ He nodded before adding, “I usually just sketch plans for sculptures, but sometimes I Just draw to draw.”

Gwen quirked a brow, surprised “Wait, really?” Cody nodded, “Not gonna lie. I was positive you were fibbing for attention.” 

Heather watched the four carefully through sunglass covered eyes.

  
  


* * *

* * *

“Part Two,” Heather continued to explain her plan, “I’ve Seen Enough Of These Shows To Know That At One Point, The Teams Will Dissolve. And When That Happens, I’ll Need An Alliance. The Only Thing Is I’m Going To Need To Find People Who Are Either _Dumb_ or _Desperate_ Enough To Do Whatever I Say.” She smiled fiendishly at the camera, “And I Know Just The _Dolts_ Perfect For The Job.”

* * *

* * *

Lindsay was currently propped on top of her head and palms, trying to maintain balance. Gwen looked up from her conversation to scowl at the girl, “What are you doing?”

The blond stared forward, focused, “Trying… To get… The Blood… To Rush To My Head.” she glanced up at the Goth, giddy “I Think It’s Working!”

Beth approached the girl, brace covered teeth shining brightly, “Can I Try?”

Lindsay kept her bubbly smile as she looked to Beth, “Sure!”

As Beth got into position, Heather called out to them, “Lindsay! Beth! Can I Talk To You Guys For a Sec?”

“Sure!” Lindsay repeated, as she and Beth rolled to their feet.

* * *

Heather brought the girls out of earshot from the other campers. As she adjusted her sunglasses, she gave the two a kind smile. “Okay,” she began, “I Have a Plan to Get Me and Two Other People Into The Final Three.” She cocked her hip and rested a hand on it, “And I, Chose You Guys!”

Lindsay and Beth stared at her, awe struck and in disbelief. “Really?!” The Blonde asked.

Heather brought her finger up as she explained, “You Should Know That This Is a _Very_ Big Deal. I Am Placing _My Trust_ In _You_ . And _Trust_ Is A Two Way Street.” The two excitedly nodded before Heather continued, “So You’ll Do _Whatever_ I Say, Then?” 

“Sure!” said Lindsay, before squeeing and turning to Beth. She grabbed the shorter girls hand as they both bounced in excitement, “We’re Going To The Final Three!!!!” The two then shared in excited cheers.

  
  


* * *

* * *

Beth sat enthusiastically in the confessional stall, “Oh. My. Goth!” She clasped her hands together as she continued, “Heather Isth Taking _Me_ To The Final Three!” She began to clap in excitement, “I’M GOING TO THE FINAL THREE! I’M GOING TO THE FINAL _THREE!”_

Beth suddenly calmed down as a thought entered her mind. She turned to the camera, bringing a quizzical hand to her face, “I Wonder What Will Happen Then…”

* * *

* * *

Lindsay leaned over to Beth as she spoke, “Speaking of Alliances, You Know Who I Think Is _Really_ Cute?” Beth followed Lindsays gaze to find Tyler, lounging on a stump, taking in the lakeside view. It was hard to tell if something was on his mind, or if he had any thoughts at all, but before either girl could decipher that mystery, Heather hopped out in front of them.

“Oh No,” She placed her hands on Lindsay’s shoulders as she backed her away, “You Can’t Date Him.”

She frowned, “Why Not?”

Heather looked at her sympathetically, at least one would assume she was past tinted glasses, “He’s on The Enemy Team,” she began, “He would, like, Totally take advantage of you. Could you _Imagine_ how _Heartbroken_ You’d feel?” 

Lindsay thought about it before looking back up at Heather, “But I Don’t Think He Wou-”

Heather brought a silencing finger to Lindsay’s mouth, “Lindsay. Don’t You Trust Me?” she pulled her hands away before lifting up her sunglasses, only looking at her through a sideways glance, “Because If You Don’t, That’s Fine. You’d Just Be Out The Alliance.” Heather turned to walk away, gesturing for Beth to follow as she continued, “And Then I Can’t Help You.” She glanced back at her with pitying, belittling eyes, “You’d be all alone…”

Lindsay’s eyes widened, fear filling her face as she chased after Heather and grabbed her shoulders with pleading hands, “NO!” Heather turned to face her. Lindsay brought her hands together in a begging gesture, “Please! I Wanna Be In The Alliance!” 

Heather smiled, “Good Choice!” she hugged Lindsay before leading them back to the stumps. 

Lindsay glanced sadly over at the Killer Bass, where Tyler met her eyes. The Boy smiled and waved, causing Lindsay to blush and give a small wave of her own.

* * *

* * *

Lindsay smiled at the camera, “Heather said I Couldn’t _Date Him_ , But She Never Said I Couldn’t _Like Him._ ” She reasoned.

* * *

* * *

* * *

“Ok, Ok!” Katie giggled, “I Dare You To…… Try To Touch Your Nose With Your Tongue!” 

“Oh My Gosh, Katie,” Sadie sat across from her friend, criss-crossed, as she shook her head, “You, Like, Always Do That One!”

“It’s A Dare, Sadie! You’re, Like, Legally Required To!” 

“Whatever,” Sadie rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I’m gonna Suddenly be able to do it!” 

Katie let out another giggle, “We Won’t Know Unless, Like, We Keep Trying.”

Sadie stuck her tongue out in response, before struggling to touch the tip of her nose. 

She Could Not. 

Her BFF erupted into a fit of giggles as Courtney approached them. 

  
  


* * *

* * *

“My early game priority is simple,” Courtney began, “Having the right allies can bring power to an individual.” She explained, “And having any allies at all can help one out of rough waters, if such should arise. Though Sadie and Katie aren’t the…. Strongest competitors, they are the only two on the team without any ill-will towards me,” Courtney slammed her fist into her hand, “Which Makes Them My Best Shot!”

* * *

* * *

Courtney smiled at the Best Friends as she knelt down to join them, “What are you girls doing?” 

Sadie smiled, “Oh! Katie made one of those origami fortune teller thingies, but instead of, like, Fortunes, You get either a truth or a dare!”

“It’s like Truth or Dare, but, like, TOTES More Fun!” Katie added.

Sadie nodded, “Totes!” 

“Wow! What a Great Idea Girls!” Courtney smiled, “A Perfect Excuse To Keep Both Our Minds And Bodies Active! Great Thinking!”

“Oh My Gosh! I Know, Right?” said Sadie.

Katie turned to her friend, “Sadie! Why don’t we invite Courtney to play?!” 

“That’s, Like, An Amazing Idea!”

The two looked to Courtney, who brought a humble hand to her chest, “I’d be honored to join your game.”

The best friends clapped in celebration before Katie grabbed her friend’s hand, “Wait, Should we, like, invite the others, too?”

“Oh My Gosh, We Should Totally Invite All The Bass Girls!” Sadie gripped Katie's hand back.

Katie excitedly grabbed Sadie's other hand as she gasped, “It Could Be, Like, A Total Girl Bonding Thing!” 

“Totally!” 

“Another out of the park Idea, ladies!” Courtney said.

Katie rose to her feet and walked over to Bridgette and Eva, with Sadie close behind. 

Bridgette sat cross legged, hunched over with her head in her hands. She stared blankly forward as she let out a long yawn. Eva sat near her, looking off into the same direction with both earbuds in. She thumped her head to the loud beat, with hopes that the pumpin’ tunes would be enough to keep her up. 

Katie stepped in front of their gaze, smiling, “Hey!”

Bridgette looked up at her with a tired smile, but Eva didn’t acknowledge her.

“Me and Sadie Were Thinking that it’d be Toats Fun if All Us Bass Girls Got Together and Played Truth Or Dare!”

Bridgette yawned, “Sure.” she smiled, “That sounds rad.”

The best friends applauded, before turning expectantly to Eva. The jock continued to ignore them before Bridgette lightly elbowed her side. “What?” Eva asked, removing an ear bud.

“All the Bass Girls are going to Play Truth or Dare,” Bridgette yawned, “You wanna come?”

“That Sounds Really Stupid.” 

“But it’s Not!” Katie protested, “It’ll Be Like, Super Fun!”

Sadie nodded, “It’ll, like, Toats Help Us Stay Awake, too!”

“It’ll Be a Cool way to get to know the Others.” Bridgette smiled. 

Eva thought about it before groaning, “Fine.” She stood up and crossed her arms, “I Still Think It’s Stupid.”

* * *

###  _[23:56:44]_

Time marched forward, and the bags under the campers eyes grew darker. Though many seemed to have found distractions from the temptress known as sleep, a few fell for her sweet trap.

Harold had passed out first, surprising no one. It wasn’t long until Justin followed suit, reclined peacefully on the ground. Joining them in their slumber was Tyler, who upon losing consciousness bang his head hard against the ground.

_**-10 Gophers-** _

_**-8 Bass-** _

Those who remained strong continued to fight the good fight.

“OhMyGosh.” Sadie gawked, “They Did _Not_ Say That To You!”

Courtney nodded, “I Couldn’t Believe It, Myself! I Mean, Didn’t They _Know_ Who I _Was?”_

Bridgette yawned, a droopy and exhausted grin stretched across her face, “Didn’t They _Know_ You Were A _C.I.T”_

This comment launched the girls into a fit of giggles; even Eva let out a chuckle.

The camera panned away from them to their formerly incarcerated teammate. 

Duncan rolled his eyes at the giggling group of girls, as he sat hunched over bored out of his mind. He glanced around, trying to find something entertaining to do, anything to occupy his time, when his eyes landed on Geoff tying DJ to a tree.

Curious, the delinquent approached them.

“This Is So Genius, Man!” Geoff smiled as he tightened another knot.

“Thanks, Man.” DJ smiled.

“Dudes, What Are You Doing?” Duncan cocked his brow at the two as he approached.

“Ok, So, I Figure,” DJ began, “If I Make My Brain Think I’m Standin’, Then It Won’t Fall Asleep, ‘Cause That’d Mean I’d Fall.”

Geoff nodded, “That’s Science!”

Duncan scratched his chin, “Huh." He then pointed at Geoff, “Yo, Blondie, When You’re Done with The Brickhouse, Do Me Next.”

Geoff responded with a relaxed salute, “You got it, Chief!”

“Aw, Wait,” DJ frowned looking over at Geoff, “What about you, Man?”

The blond waved him off, “Don’t worry about it, dude!” He gestured to himself, “This Is A Pristine Partyin’ MACHINE! I Can Go On For DAYS! WOO-WOO!” He punctuated the thought by twirling his fist in the air.

“Alright,” Duncan smirked, “Looks like We Got This One In The Bag, Boys!” The delinquent and the Party Boy then exchanged highfives before both patted the firmly secured DJ’s Shoulders.

“Oh,” Sadie started, “I _HATE_ Babysitting For the Mulligans! Those Kids, Like, NEVER Listen!”

“Oh, I Know!” Katie agreed, “They’re, Like, SO Mean!”

“So Mean!”

As the best friends continued to recount the many exploits of the Dreaded Mulligan children, the muffled thumps of music that constantly radiated from Eva’s Headphones finally stopped. Frowning, the girl took her device to find that it had finally died. Tired and annoyed, she removed the lone bud that always sat in her ear and wrapped it around her device’s case, before transferring it to her pocket. Or at least she meant to, instead, in her exhaustion , she ended up just placing it next to where she sat.

Eva looked over to Bridgette, who was lying on her stomach, head resting in her hand and eyes closed; the jock nudged the surfers arm,causing her eyes to jut open, before addressing the group, “I’m Going To The Restroom.”

“Alright, Don’t Fall Asleep.” said Courtney with a yawn, before turning back to Sadie and Katie, “You Have To Be _Very_ Particular With Problem Children, I Should Know. I’m An Expert At Handling Them.”

Eva stood to make her way to the bathrooms, unaware of the calculating eyes that followed her.

* * *

* * *

"Last, But Not Least: Part Three.” Heather smiled, “Turn the Enemy Team Against Their Strongest Players. Which is Definitely between That Eva Girl, The Surfer, ” She brought her hands up for air quotes, “and Ms. ‘C.I.T’.” a devious smirk grew on her face, “And I Know _Exactly_ How I’m Going to Do It.”

* * *

* * *

Heather looked around to confirm no one was watching her, and just in luck every awake camper seemed preoccupied by something else. She walked carefully over to the abandoned device, Courtney Sadie and Katie too deep in conversation to notice. Heather began to do some simple stretches, as she eyed Bridgette. The surfer laid close to the device, and wasn’t currently active in the others conversation. She could easily call Heather Out.

It was almost enough to make Heather worry, but any fear she had quickly disapperated when she heard a small snore exit the blonds mouth. Feeling secure in her plan, Heather bent down towards it with an innocent seeming stretch; and with that she successfully swiped the MP3, Undetected.

Heather showed the confessional her prize, “All I have to Do is Plant This On Either Chlorine Hair or The Buzz Kill,” She Smiled at the camera, “And then The Bass Will Either Eliminate Dumbbell For Blowing A Gasket, Or One Of Them For Being a Thief.” She smirked, “Either Way, Their Loss.”

_**-10 Gophers-** _

_**-7 Bass-** _

“Congratulations, Campers!” Chris smiled to the still awake contestants, “You’ve Made It To The 24 Hour Mark! Time To Take Things UP a NOTCH!” As Chris walked over towards a sheet covered pile, Chef appeared holding a golden lyre and dressed as a fluffy pink lamb. The teens snickered at the man before being growled into silence. 

“And Now,” Chris removed the sheet with a flourish, revealing a stack of books, “Fairy Tales, Read To You by _Yours Truly!”_

Gwen rolled her eyes, “Uhg, He Can’t Be Serious.”

Oh, but He Was Serious. 

Clearing his throat, Chris began, “Once….. Upon A Time…. There was… inside this boring kingdom… A boring Village…. Filled with very boring Children….. Who did Very boring things….”

Chris spoke slowly and monotonous, calm radiating from every word. Beth let out a small yawn which Lindsay echoed; an echo that Beth returned, to which Lindsay repeated. This exchange continued until the two were leaning against each other, tired and drained, but still awake.

Barely.

The other campers stayed strong against Chris’ evil plan; strong until Chef began strumming sweetly on his lyre. The notes drifted like autumn leaves in the wind, falling ever so delicately on the ears of those exhausted. Such lullabies proved too much for our two Gopher Girls, as both Beth and Lindsay surrendered to the temptation; their heads lightly thudding against one another.

The three Bass Boys weren’t holding up much better. It seemed without a pumpin’ beat to rock too, the so-called Party Machine had very little staying power. Geoff sat between two trees, each with a teammate tied securely to it, snoring in a peaceful slumber. Duncan’s head bobbed up and down; losing the ability to move about, he also lost the ability to keep himself entertained, though he tried to remain strong. Stronger than DJ, whose brain was, in fact, NOT fooled into thinking he was standing. The large boy went out like a light, his limp yet heavy body bringing the tree down with him. The tremors that radiated from the tree seemed to breathe some life into Duncan and raise Geoff from his slumber, but it was all in vain as Chefs sweet melody quickly beckoned them back to the realm of sleep.

_**-8 Gophers-** _

_**-4 Bass-** _

  
  


As Chris read and Chef strummed, Cody, Gwen, Leshawna and Trent all sat in a circle on the grass, desperately trying to stay awake.

“Okay,” Trent started, fighting back a yawn, “Favorite…. Food?”

Leshawna waved her hand, “Easy: Spicy Mango Chutney Chicken Curry!” 

“You made that up! That Was Just Words.” Gwen smirked, as the others chuckled at the response.

“What?!” Leshawna almost sounded offended, “You’re Tellin’ _Me_ That You Guys Ain't Never Had Spicy Mango Chutney Chicken Curry?!???!!” The other three shook their heads, causing Leshawna to respond by dramatically holding her face in her hands, “You’ve GOT To Be Kidding! It’s The Greatest Food EVER MADE!” 

“Must not not be that great if I’ve never heard of it.” Gwen teased.

“That’s it,” Leshawna began, “When this is All Said and Done; Y’all Better PROMISE Me You’ll Try It and En _lighten_ Yourselves!”

“I Don’t Know…” Cody made a face as if to say he wasn’t that interested in the dish.

“If You Don’t I Will Find You And Make You! This Food Is A _Necessity!_ ”

Trent chuckled, “Alright, after the show we’ll try your Magic Chicken,” Leshawna nodded, pleased with this response.

“Alright, So it’s…..?” Trent waited for his train of thought to arrive at the station, but it seemed to be held up elsewhere.

“Gwen's Turn To Ask Me A Question!” Cody helped, a little too eagerly.

“Uhh, right,” Gwen groaned as she searched her mind, “I dunno…. Favorite Color?”

Cody thought about it for a second, “Probably….. Screensaver Gray.”

“Gray?!” Leshawna exclaimed.

“Yeah?”

“Cody, Gray’s Sad!” 

“Wha-?” Cody gasped, “Is NOT! It’s _Neutral_!”

Trent turned to Gwen, “Aren’t Neutral Colors Just…. Sad Colors?”

“Not really,” she started, “But for the purposes of picking on Cody, I’ll say Yes.”

“HEY!”

"Gray is SO sad, Cody.” Gwen shook her head in disapproval at the poor boy.

“I Rest My Case.” Leshawna and Gwen shared a high five, as Cody crossed his arms, dejectedly. 

“You guys Suck.” 

Gwen nudged Cody’s leg with her foot, “Oh, Lighten up.”

“Oh, Look Who’s Talking” Trent chaffed, playfully nudging his elbow in her side; laughing when Gwen stuck her pierced tongue out in response.

“TRENT!” Cody suddenly declared, catching the taller boy's attention.

“CODY!” he shouted back.

“What. Is. Your. FAVORITE….” Cody quickly realized he didn’t have a good one yet, as he paused in thought.

“I’m ready whenever You are, Buddy.” Trent smiled, as Gwen suppressed a chuckle.

“..........SssssssOOOoonnngg?” Cody brought his hands to his mouth with interest, as he waited for a response.

Trent paused in thought, before smiling and snapping a finger gun at Cody, “She Will Be Loved.”

“Well, Aren’t We Just a Sensitive Cutie.” Leshawna smiled, a light jest in her voice.

There was a moment of silence, before Cody broke it, “That’s It? We’re Not Making Fun Of That? Like, _At All?”_

“No, Cody.” Gwen looked severely at him, “Don’t Be Mean To Trent.”

Cody made some intangible noise as he threw his arms up in defeat. This pained reaction sparked a fit of laughter from the others, before Leshawna pulled him and his pout into a side hug. “Ok, Ok, We need To Give Shorty Here a Break!” She explained, wiping a chuckle induced tear from her eye..

“Get a new Target.” Gwen nodded, “Gotcha.”

“Or, We Could Just Be Nice To Each Other?” Trent proposed.

Gwen eyed him, before responding, “Target Acquired.”

“Speakin’ of Targets-” Leshawna yawned, before pointing at Gwen, “Favorite Movie Moment: Go!”

Gwen looked away from the others, as she crossed her arms. There was a long bit of silence as she debated within herself whether to go on with this. 

She yawned before saying “Do I Have To?” she blew at the hair that was perpetually in her eye only for her bangs to fall back over it as she turned back, “You Guys Are Gonna Think It’s Cheesy.”

“I Promise we Won’t.” Trent smiled.

Gwen met his eyes, and a safe feeling washed over her, “Okay,” She rested her hands on either side of her torso before taking in a breath of courage. She avoided eye contact as she addressed the group, “The Kiss at The end of That Road Trip Movie…You Know, the one with The Guy and The Three Girls?”

The other three couldn’t help but chuckle, “I Know The One!” Cody smiled, “You actually _Like_ that Movie?”

Gwen once again nudged Cody’s leg with her foot, “Shut Up!”

“Not So Hardcore After All, Lil’ Ms. Grim n’ Dark?” Leshawna chuckled.

“Forget You Guys!” Gwen scolded, “I’m Trying To Be _Vulnerable!!”_

Trent placed a kind hand on her shoulder, suppressing his continued chuckle, “And We’re really Proud of You.” 

“Yeah,” Leshawna nodded, “Just givin’ You a Hard Time is All.”

“Whatever.” She said before sticking her tongue out at everyone, though when she finished a fond smile found its place on her lips.

* * *

###  _[40:00:00]_

Time continued to trek forward as those still awake felt trapped in a sleepless purgatory. Conversations slowed as campers minds grew clouded by a sleepy fog.

This was a problem for almost everyone, except Sadie and Katie, who seemed to never run out of things to say to each other. Courtney tried to keep up in their conversation, but she was growing far too exhausted to make sense of it all. Eva, on the other hand, has been sitting in silent protest ever since Bridgette left her for the realm of sleep. Without her music and the only person on the island she found tolerable, Eva tried to tune out the perky nonsense of the best friends by herself. This seemed to be her downfall, as her thoughts grew dream-like, and her eyelids heavy. She nodded once, twice, but she shook the tiered out of her head both times. But you know what they say; Third Time's The Charm. Eva's head rested in her hand, as she lost her first fight since the show began.

_**-8 Gophers-** _

_**-3 Bass-** _

Heather let out a long yawn as she surveyed the teams. The Gophers had an outstanding lead, and the only Bass who were left were a visibly exhausted Courtney; and Sadie and Katie, who were hardly the winning type. Heather smirked, ready to execute her plan come morning after the Killer Bass finish another challenge stomach side up. It Was Pitiful. Heather laid down on the ground, and readied herself for sleep.

_**-7 Gophers-** _

_**-3 Bass-** _

Gwen, Trent, Cody and Leshawna tried desperately to continue talking and remain awake.

Trent was currently detailing what his dream motorcycle would be like, when Cody noticed Gwen staring at something, “What ya lookin’ at?”

“Izzy…” The goth muttered. Cody, Leshawna and Trent followed Gwens gaze to where Izzy stood. 

Izzy stood erect, staring into the woods, eyes wide open and smile manic. Her hands rested on her hips like a proud statue. The quartet approached her cautiously. 

“She hasn’t moved, in like,” Gwen ran through her calculations, “40 Hours.” 

Gwen waved her hand in front of her face, “Hello? YO!?” 

Trent flapped his arms as he stood in front of Izzy, in an attempt to steal of attention “YIP! YIP YIP!” 

Nothing seemed to distract her. 

“Wow. Look at the Concentration.” Leshawna observed, impressed. 

Cody brought a brave finger to a freckled cheek, poking it gently. Izzy shook her head at the touch, wobbling suddenly on her feet as she let out a waking snore. Her stumble caused her flannel to fall around her feet as she rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. 

The four gasped, “No Way…!” Trent said.

“Were you…” Gwen pointed at Izzy as she tried to find the words buried in her tired mind. 

Before she could finish her thought Cody stole it, “SLEEPING WITH YOUR EYES OPEN!” 

That was louder than he wanted...

All awake campers turned to the group of Gophers with interest. Chris laughed, “Get Out!” He turned, beaming at Izzy, “No WAY Is That True!”

Izzy nodded, “Oh Yeah, I’ve slept with my eyes open since I was a baby!” She waved her hand dismissively as she chuckled, “My parents Thought I was Possessed and tried to exorcise me! Uh-huh, that’s true!” She explained, “It didn’t work though, because All of the Priests in the area were scared of me!” She laughed.

“As A Baby?” Leshawna questioned.

Izzy nodded.

Chris shook his head, amused, “That’s So Crazy! But you’re still out, dude.”

Izzy frowned.

* * *

* * *

“Sure,” Izzy began, “I Coulda’ Lied and Say I Wasn’t Sleeping, But Then No One Would Believe My Baby Story!” She rolled her eyes, “DUH!”

* * *

* * *

Owen smiled, amused at the exchange, as he yawned, “Wow, how cool is that!”

Noah’s head rested on his hand, his arm propped on a stump. His eyes were fluttering close as he responded with a simple, “Mm-hmm...” 

Owen took concern with the lazy response and reached for his friend, “C’mon Dude!” Owen lightly shook him, “Don’t Snooze On Me, Now!” 

“Imnot.” Noah mumbled, batting Owens hands away, “Jus restinmy eyes…”

Letting go, Owen frowned, “C’mon, man, if you Fall asleep, I’LL Fall-” Owen’s plea was interrupted by the small snores that started filing out of Noah's mouth. Owen let out a sad sigh, as he rested the back of his head against the stump, defeated, “Asleep.”

_**-4 Gophers-** _

_**-3 Bass-** _

* * *

Courtney let out a long yawn, before speaking to the other two Bass, “I Cannot Believe the Gophers Would Stoop So Low and Try and CHEAT!” She shook her head, “Who Would Have Guessed That They’d Lack Such Dignity.”

“Oh, C’mon!” Katie began, “They were Like, REALLY Nice to Me when I was Over there! So, Like, They’re Not All Bad!”

Sadie nodded, “Plus, they, Like, Called Her Out Themselves. Supes Not Bad!”

“I Suppose.” Courtney fought back another yawn, “I Still Think We Should Keep Our Eyes On Them.”

* * *

###  _[51:00:05]_

_**-4 Gophers-** _

_**-3 Bass-** _

Trent yawned, “Aw man,” he rubbed his face in an attempt to stay awake, “I Don’t know if I can Keep this up…”

“Sure You Can!” Leshawana yawned before continuing, “We don’t got much longer. We Got This!” 

Trent nodded, encouraged but still very tired, and Gwen brought a half-hearted fist into the air, “Woo-hoo. Go team.” The goth droned.

Leshawna smiled, before yawning again and looking over at Cody, who was hunched over, eyes closed. She elbowed him for a response, “C’mon Shorty, don’t quit-” She interrupted herself with a yawn, “-on Me Now!”

Cody waved her off, before rubbing his eyes, “I’m Up!” He yawned.

“Just so we’re all on the same page…” Gwen looked at them, “Whoever falls asleep first is getting their hand stuck in warm water.”

Trent smirked, “What if that’s you?”

She smiled at him, “I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

* * *

“If you Were an animal you would Totes be, like, a Dog!” Sadie giggled as she addressed Katie, “Cause’, like, You’re all ‘Arf Arf! I Love You Guys! Arf Arf!” Katie laughed along with her friend before Sadie added, “Like, If You Had A Tail, It’d Be, Like, Wagging All The Time!” 

“OMG Sadie, That’s SO Funny, Cause, Like I Think You’d Be a Dog TOO!”

“No Way!” Sadie gawked, “Like, Why?”

“Cause, Like, You’re SO Smart, and Like Dogs Do All Those Tricks and Junk!” She smiled as she rubbed some sleep out of her eyes, “Plus, you’re like Supes Cute!”

“That’s So Nice, OhMyGosh!” Sadie held her hands over her heart, touched, “Courtney, Wasn’t That, Like, SO Nice!”

The two turned to the girl in question, only to find her hunched over with a dazed and broken look in her eyes. Her Eyelids kept slamming shut only for her to violently open them again. 

Katie grabbed onto Courtney’s shoulders, shaking her, pleading with her body to stay awake, “OhMyGosh! Courtney! Don’t Fall Asleep!!!”

Sadie pushed her face into the exhausted girls, “Like, You LITERALLY Can’t!” She frowned, “We’re, Like, Already Totally Losing!!!!”

Courtney nodded, “Don’ worry…. I’mmmmm….. Nnot Gonna givm up.” she adjusted her posture so that she was sitting erect. After, Courtney brought tight fists to her eyes in an attempt to push the tired out, before slapping her cheeks. Once she was done she smiled victoriously at the other two. Sadie and Katie responded with gitty Cheers and small excited claps.

And Then Courtney Collapsed with a Snore.

“COURTNEY!!!!” The two called out desperately.

Katie cradled her now limp body in her arms as she cried. Hugging her fallen friend close as she spoke through tears, “I Can’t Believe We Lost Her!!!” She sniffled, “She Was Like, WAY To Young!”

Sadie Nodded as she pulled Katie into a hug, her friend refusing to release their lost ally, “I Know, Kit-Kat, But, Like, We Have to Stay STRONG!” She sniffed back a tear, “It’s What She Would Have Wanted.”

Katie sniffled once more, before slowly lowering Courtney to the ground, “We’ll Miss You…” she said softly, as she gently pushed a stray hair out of the sleeping girl's face.

_**-4 Gophers-** _

_**-2 Bass-** _

* * *

###  _[85:18:32]_

As the hours continued to trickle by, the campers who have already lost to the temptation of sleep started to rustle awake. 

Courtney stretched with a waking yawn. As she sat up, she felt something roll off her shoulders. When she checked to see what it was she found someone had draped a bright blue jacket over her sleeping frame. It didn’t take much deduction to figure out the culprit was Bridgette, who Courtney found jacket-less (revealing her pale blue tank top), and approaching a couple of trees along with Eva; one of which lay fallen on the ground.

Geoff heard a giggle above him, which prompted him to force his still tired eyes open, “Wha-?” he looked up to see Bridgette smiling down at him, like a warm morning sun. He then looked a little to the left to find Eva, who was frowning at him, like a mother disappointed that you just referred to 'Noon' as morning. 

“NOW HE Wakes Up!” Duncan Griped, “Dude, We’ve been Yellin’ at You For The Past Five Minutes!”

“Aw Sorry, Man!” Geoff looked up apologetically to Duncan, “I Thought I Was Just Dreamin’!” He looked up at Bridette and winked, shining that award winning smile of his, “Still Might Be.”

She rolled her eyes with a smile and a blush. “Do You Guys Need Some Help?” Bridgette chuckled.

Eva rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, “Oh, They Need _Help,_ Alright.”

* * *

Owen had barely moved from where he dozed, now sprawled out with his head still resting on the stump. Noah, on the other hand, had grown cold during the night, and unknowingly clung to the warmest thing. 

Noah's eyes fought to stay closed as his now light slumber was being disturbed by loud snores. The small boy decided to try and bury his face into his pillow to muffle the irritating sound. This almost worked, until his increasingly awake brain recalled: He Didn’t Have A Pillow.

Noah pulled his head away from it’s cushion, to realize he had wrapped himself around Owens arm. Startled and disturbed, He quickly let go and stumbled backwards. He checked to see if anyone had noticed, before moving a few stumps away and huddling into a tight ball to resume his sleep.

* * *

Lindsay rubbed her eyes as she awoke, rising from Beth's shoulder. “Mornin’ Thleepy Head!” the brunette smiled.

“Oh No, “ Lindsay yawned, “Did I Fall Asleep??”

“Fraid Tho.” Beth nodded, “But Don’t Worry! We’re Thstill Winning!” Lindsay followed her friend's gaze to the four Gophers, still fighting to stay awake and then the Two Bass who were currently playing a very slow paced clapping game.

Lindsay clapped, Oh, Yay!” She stood up, waving to the four, “WOO! GO TEAM!” She got tired waves and droopy smiles in return. 

Heather approached her two allies as she watched the lone two Bass with pitiful eyes, “It’s Almost _Sad,_ How Much They Suck At This…”

* * *

Trent let out a long yawn as Gwen wiped her face in exhaustion. The goth groaned, “I would KILL for a coffee right now…”

Just then Chris strutted back to the campfire area, hot cup of joe in hand, he took a sip before shaking his head at the remaining six campers, “What Is _Wrong_ With You People?” he took another sip, “ _Fall Asleep Already!”_

As his orders came to a close Gwen tightened her fists on the host pants legs as she knelt before him, “You Gotta Hook Me Up, Man!” She reached up to the cup, desperate, “I’ll Even Eat The _Grinds!!”_

Chris shook her off with some disgust, before continuing, “Alright! You Six With Me,” He turned to the others, “As For The Rest Of You Go And Get A Shower, For HEAVEN'S SAKE,” He glared at them, “You Guys _Stink!”_

Taking another sip of his drink, Chris watched the failed campers make their way to the campgrounds, before turning to the remaining contestants. He looked at them with grave eyes, “I didn’t Want it To Come To This. I Said that to Chef Hatchet Last Night, I Said ‘Chef, I Don’t Want It To Come to This. But, _Darn it!_ These Kids Are _Tough!’_ And So I’ve Come Up With THE Most _Boring, Sleep Inducing_ Activity I Can Find.” 

* * *

* * *

“Oh, He Has _Got_ To Be Kidding!” Leshawna glared at the confessional camera, with her hands on her hips, before continuing with an aggressive beckoning gesture, “You Know What? _Bring It!”_

* * *

* * *

Raising a large book and placing it in front of himself, Chris began, voice calm and melodious “The History of Canada: A Pop Up Book, Chapter one.” He opened the pages to reveal a pop up of a beaver, sitting with some wood, “The Beaver. National Symbol, and a _Real_ Fine Hat.”

As Chris continued reading about the many wonders of the Beaver, the remaining six campers seemed to be slowly losing their will. That is until the subject sparked Katies mind with a memory.

Katie leaned over to Sadie, “Oh my gosh! Sadie, Do You Remember That Teacher We Had That TOTALLY Looked like a Beaver?”

Sadie’s face lit up in recollection, “Oh My Gosh! I Totally Do!” her face turned sour, “Ack, She Was Such a Jerk.”

Katie matched her friend's expression, nodding, “Do You remember when she yelled at us in class and was like” Katie brought her hands up as she performed her impression of their Beaver-Like Teacher, “ ‘Ladies, This isn’t a Social Event’!” 

Sadie Nodded, “OMG, Yes, Like So Rude!”

“I Still Can’t Believe what you said to her!!!”

Sadie snapped her fingers as she reenacted the scene, “ ‘Obviously, Maybe Then We Wouldn’t Be So BORED!’ ” 

The two irrupted into giggles as Chris cleared his throat. The girls tried to suppress their laughter, as they collapsed into a giggly mess of a hug, before turning to the Host smiling, “Sorry, Chris!” 

One would think with Sadie and Katie's distraction, Cody could muster the strength to keep his eyes open, but they’d be wrong. The geeks eyelids grew too heavy for the poor boy to hold up, collapsing shut. His body followed suit as he landed with a thud on the ground.

Gwen looked surprisingly distressed as she cried, “Cody!”

Leshawna shook her head, sadness saturating her voice as she pulled the small boy's head into her lap so that he could rest more peacefully, “Poor, Shorty,” She pushed the sleeping boy's hair back, as Gwen let her head fall on Leshawna's shoulder; Leshawna let her own head rest on the goths as she finished her thought with a yawn, “Just Didn’t Have It In Him…”

“And another one bites the dust…” Gwen frowned at her sleeping friend, before being startled by a sudden weight on her shoulder. She looked over to find Trent had passed out. His head rested heavy on Gwen Shoulder as she brought a worried hand to his cheek, “Trent!? Not You, Too!”

_**-2 Gophers-** _

_**-2 Bass-** _

“OhMyGosh!” Sadie turned excitedly over to Katie, as she gripped her hands, “We’re, Like, So Tied Now!!!! We Can, Like, TOTALLY WIN!”

Katie yawned as she shared a tired smile with her friend, “I, Like, Totes Knew We Could!”

Leshawna rubbed her eyes, “Alright, girl, It’s Time To Get Serious.”

Gwen nodded as they met each other's gaze, each with an intense, albeit tired, look. 

“AHEM!” Chris cleared his throat once more, “If I MAY!”

Leshawna and Gwen tightly clasped each other's hands, like two bros in an action movie, ready to take on any boring facts Chris was going to throw at them.

Katie and Sadie pulled each other into a tight and excited hug, the switching odds breathing even more life into them.

The Real Game Begins.

  
  


* * *

###  _[86:59:59]_

The four girls sat in unbearable boredom, and near unbeatable exhaustion, yet they pushed through. 

Leshawna sat back with her hands behind her, keeping her up; whereas Gwen rested her head on the other girl's shoulder, attempting to hold back every yawn with a low success rate. Their two fallen companions lay with their head in the other two’s laps, snores echoing out of their mouths in a sort of twisted mockery at the sleep deprived teens. 

Katie and Sadie sat against one another, each supporting the weight of their friend as they tried not to interrupt Chris again.

Though it grew increasingly difficult the more he droned on and on and on. 

“-Which of course was the precursor to the discussions leading to the war of 1812.”

Sadie leaned into Katie's ear as she whispered, “That’s like that Song your Pap-Pap Sings….”

Katie searched her mind, but came up empty, “Wha?”

“Y’know, it’s, like” Sadie continued with a half remembered tune, “1812 We All Went Down-”

Her friend interrupted her, “No, no, It’s 1813.”

“That Doesn’t Sound Right…”

“Well, I Know It’s Not 12! It ends in A Teen!”

“Okay, Okay, I Think I Got It…. 1816 We All Went Down-”

“That’s Not It, Either, it’s like- 1819 We Took A Lil Trip, With All Our Friend To A Cool Town-”

“No, wait, That’s Not It Either! It’s like-”

“If Somebody Doesn’t Shut Them Up.” Gwen griped, “I’m Walking Straight Into The Lake. And I’m Not Coming Back.”

Leshawna adjusted her weight so that it was supported on her left hand, bringing her right to wrap around Gwen and pull her into a hug. “Don’ Let ‘em Get To You… We Gotta Focus…”

Gwen nodded with a yawn, pushing away from Leshawna to stretch. She followed this up by lightly smacking her face.

* * *

Time continued to pass, or at least the girls assumed it was passing. Everything bled together in a sleepless daze, as Chris continued reading, uncaring of their strife. Once in a while Sadie and Katie would whisper to each other, but even that grew sparse. Tired minds ran out of thoughts that didn’t revolve around a singular yet shared want: Sleep.

The four craved sleep like a man lost in the desert craves water. A instinctual need for something that cannot be found, but unlike the desert man, the girls could decide to leave the wasteland they feel trapped in whenever they’d like. But to do so would mean to lose the game, and none wants to be labeled the one who couldn’t make it. The one who had victory just in sight, only to throw it all away. To disappoint a team who all have put their hope onto you. 

No One Wants To Be That Person.

The Last One Left, The Last One With a Chance, Only To Lose It All Anyway.

But Alas… Someone Has To Be.

The Goths head once again found its place on her new friend's shoulder, as it grew too heavy for her to bear it on her own. She yawned. She yawned. She yawned. She snored.

Leshawna didn’t notice the change at first, but after her clouded mind processed she looked towards the girl, distraught, “No!” She moved to face her, causing Gwen to slide off her shoulder, and landing on the grassy ground. She closed her eyes in desolation, “Don’chu Leave Me, Too…”

_**-1 Gopher-** _

_**-2 Bass-** _

Sadie shook a tired Katie, “We’re Winning! OhMyGosh!!! We’re Totes Doing It!!”

Katie gripped Sadies shoulders back, “OhMyGosh, OhMyGosh, OhMyGosh! What Do We Do!!!”

Sadie thought for a moment, nothing really available in her exauhstion but she pushed through, “TALK!”

“Talk?”

“Talk! TalkTalkTalkTalkTalkTalkTalkTalkTalkBawck-”

“Bawck?!” Katie laughed, “You Want To Bawk??”

Sadie joined in her friends laughter, “SHUTUP! You Know What I Meant! OMG!”

The two continued to giggle as Katie Responded, “Bawk Bawk!”

She laughed harder, “OhMyGosh-” Sadie gasped between breaths, “It’s Not Even Funny!”

Katie nodded her agreement as she fell into her friends lap, still in a fit of giggles.

Leshawna didn’t acknowledge the laughing girls, she may not have even noticed them. Honestly she was far past noticing anything. She didn’t notice that Chris had stopped his reading. She no longer notices the island breeze grazing against her skin. She doesn’t even notice the weight of Cody’s head in her lap. 

There is one thing she noticed though.

How Heavy Everything Felt.

Her Head.

Her Body.

Her Eyes.

The Weight Was Overbearing; It Was Intense; It Was Impossible To Ignore.

Impossible To Deny.

Impossible To Fight.

Leshawna, sweet Leshawna, fell onto her back with an Island Shaking Thud. 

It Was Over.

It Was Done.

_**-0 Gopher-** _

_**-2 Bass-** _

Chris looked up at the campers, only to find the Gophers lead all snoozing in the grass.

“KILLER BASS WIN!!!!” He exclaimed, catching the winners attention.

Katie and Sadie hopped to their feet, wrapping their arms around each other as they hopped and squealed with glee. “YAY!!!!!” They cheered, before breaking away and raising their arms in celebration. They held this pose for a few seconds, before crashing onto their back into a well earned slumber.

  
  


* * *

“WHERE. IS. MY. _MP3 PLAYER_!”

The Bass cowered outside of their cabins, as Eva tore through the rooms in search of her music. After turning over the fifth mattress, she stretched out the window, glaring at her teammates, “One Of You _Must_ Have Stolen It!” She slammed her fists against the window sill, “I _NEED_ My Music!” 

Bridgette turned to the others, “Seriously, Guys, this isn’t funny! If you Just Give It Back, it won’t be a big deal!”

Gwen sat on the stairs of the Gopher cabin sketchbook in hand, and Trent strumming his guitar by her side. Though both engaged in their hobby absent mindedly as they watched the scene unfurl in front of them. 

Noah and Owen were also outside. The Larger of the two standing on the porch, watched with concern; while the smaller boy sat upon the banister, back against one of the support beams, with an amused smirk. 

Heather stood by the girls’ door, before reaching into her skirt pocket, and gripping the missing device

  
  


* * *

* * *

“This Was _Not_ Supposed To Happen.” Heather huffed. “How Did Those Losers Beat Us?” She ran her hand through her hair in thought, “I Know What The Plan _Was_ , But What’s Important Now Is Guaranteeing My Own Safety…. But How?”

* * *

* * *

Izzy emerged from the woods, making her way to the cabin she watched Eva carry on about her missing MP3. Keeping her eyes on the scene she asked her team, “Ooo, what’s going on over there?” 

Trent didn’t turn to face her, unable to look away, “Someone Stole that Girls’ MP3 Player.”

“Woah, That’s Crazy!” Izzy noted, grabbing the banister in front of the Girl’s side before flipping over it and landing on the porch. As her bare feet collided with the termite infested wood, her flannel once again fell from her hips. Izzy didn’t seem to notice as she continued talking to Trent, “Like Who Would Do That?” She gestured proudly to herself, “I Would Never Do That. Steal Something So Small, I Mean; I Would Totally Steal Something, Just Not So Small, Ya’ Know?” She chuckled, “Go Big Or Go Home, Am I Right?”

Heather watched the exchange as she leaped into a new plan. “Oh My Gosh, Izzy! You _Need_ To Tie This Better!” She bent over, picking up Izzy’s flannel, discreetly moving the MP3 to her hand before using the shirt to cover it up. 

Izzy Turned to Heather before reaching for her flannel, “Right, Right. I’m Just Worried I’ll Tie Such A Good Knot That I’ll Never Be Able To Get It Off.”

Heather nodded, as she began to hand the shirt over, before it unfurled in her hands, dropping a familiar device. The raven haired girl gasped, “Izzy!”

The other Gophers turned, shocked at the sight before them. “Woah, Woah, Woah,” Izzy gauked, “Heather, Did You Steal That Girls MP3?” She crossed arms and shook her head, “Not. Cool.”

Heather brought her hand to her chest offended, “What? Are seriously trying to pin this on me?” She brought her sunglasses down, the setting sun shining in her eyes, “It _Literally_ _Just_ Fell Out Of _Your Flannel!”_

“That You Were Holding.” 

“It Was Still Yours!”

At this point, the other Gophers had gathered outside the cabin. 

“Listen, I Know What You’re Trying To Do, M’kay,” Izzy explained, “If You Think You Can Frame _Me,_ Think Again! I Already Said I Wouldn’t Take Something So Small! So, Ha!” She punctuated the sentence by blowing a raspberry.

Heather opened her mouth to refute, but was beaten to it, “I mean,” Trent rubbed the back of his neck, “No offense… But you say a lot of things.. .”

“Not To Mention,” Justin flipped his hair, “The only Thing Pretty People Steal, is Hearts.” He winked at Beth and Lindsay who couldn’t help but giggle, before continuing with a smile, “It’s A Science Fact.”

Noah stared at him, eyes narrowed as he responded, “It Really Isn’t.”

“Spoken Like An Ugly Person.”

Before things got even more heated than they already were, Leshawna stepped up, “Alright People, That’s Enough! If We All Turn On Eachother Now, We ‘Aint Ever Gonna Win Another Challenge.” 

“Leshawna’s Right.” Heather agreed, “Let’s just forget about this before _one of us_ does something we’ll _regret_.”

Izzy growled at the comment before Cody approached Leshawna, “I Don’t Know…” he said, “I think We should figure out who did it.” He looked at her, “If they stole that, who knows what else they’ll take.”

Leshawna nodded, “You’re right, Shorty.” Cody smiled, as his friend turned to the girls, “We need to get this sorted.” 

Lindsay spoke up, “Um, Lefanda?” 

The girl in question smiled, “Leshawna. What’s up, baby?” 

“It’s just, I don’t think Hannah would do something like that.” She turned to everyone, “I mean, Like, She’s Been _So_ Nice.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Gwen Spoke, turning to the group before locking eyes with Heather, “If anything, It’s _suspicious_.” 

Justin coughed something into his hand that sounded like ‘Ugly’, before Beth spoke up “No Way! Being Nithe Ithn’t Thuthpiciouth! It’s Nithe!” She smiled at Heather who returned the gesture. “Bethides, Izzy hasth been Lying sthice sthe’s got Here!”

“Not True!” Izzy frowned, “I’ve Told NOTHING But Facts!”

Before the argument could continue, the Gophers were distracted by a new voice, “Hey, Guys?” Turning to the source the crew found Bridgette and Eva standing in front of their cabin. Bridgette smiled at everyone before continuing, “Eva can’t find her MP3, have any of you seen it?”

“I Know One Of You Losers Took It!” Eva Growled, hands tightened into fists. 

“Funny you should say that,” Heather spoke fast, her words pushing Izzy’s aside, “Since We Just Found Ou-”

“Just Found It!” Leshawna jumped in, picking up the music from the porch and walking toward the Jock, “Yeah, Turns Out One of us Found it last Night, but Didn’t know whose it Was!” She handed the device over, “How Crazy Is That?” 

Eva’s face twisted into unrivaled joy as she reached out for her beloved music, “Thank You! Oh Thank You, Thank You!” She looked up at Leshawna as she wrapped the wires around the case, “I Can’t Believe I Dropped It.”

“Must Jus’ Been Tired.” Leshawna was growing a little nervous, ready for her lie to fall apart.

“Thank You So Much For Finding It!”

“Any Time, Girl.”

“You Mean No One Even Stole It?” Duncan growled as he retrieved one of many skulled tank tops now strewn about the grounds, “What The Heck, Man!”

Eva pocketed her device before becoming surprisingly sheepish, “Sorry About The Misunderstanding Guys…” She rubbed the back of her neck and smiled, “No Hard Feelings?”

The Bass glowered at the girl, giving all the answer she needed.

  
  
  


* * *

* * *

Leshawana sat in the confessional, wiping her brow, “Woo, that was crazy.” She moved her hand from her forehead to gesture with it, “I Hate that I Lied to That Girl, But the Last Thing We Need Is Biceps Comin’ After One Of Our Own!” She pointed towards the campgrounds, “You saw What she can do! Not Lettin’ That Happen To One Of My Teammates. Nuh-Uh.

* * *

* * *

  
  
  


* * *

The stars hung lazily in the sky, just as the Gophers sat equally, if not more, lazily upon their stumps. 

Not a stump went without a tired teen, but we all know this wasn’t meant to last.

Chris approached the teens with a platter of deliciously fluffy treats. He smiled a deceptively kind smile at the group, “You've all Cast Your Votes and Made Your Decisions. One of You Will Be Headed Home. And You Can’t Come Back. _Ever._ ” He looked over them, fully aware of which one was spending their final night on the island. “When I Call Your Name, Come Up And Claim Your Marshmallow.

The Gophers fidgeted in anticipation as they awaited for Chris to Begin. 

“Leshawna.”

The girl in question stood proudly, as her new friends let out small cheers.

“Trent.”

The musician and The goth shared a high five, as he made his way to Chris and Leshawna..

“Gwen.”

Cody shot the girl a couple of finger guns, a gesture she returned, before accepting her prize.

“Cody.”

The other three joined in cheers as Cody took confident strides to join them, engaging in Up-Tops, Down-Lows and of course one Too-Slow.

“Owen.”

“WOO!” He cheered as he rushed over to where the others stood.

“Noah.”

Noah stood with the confidence of someone who had no doubts he made the cut.

“Lindsay.”

Both her and Beth clapped and cheered as she made her way over.

“Justin.”

Justin let out a sigh of relief as he took his marshmallow.

“Beth.”

Lindsay cheered out to her friend as Beth ran up to accept the reward. The two girls then joined in a celebratory hug.

And then There were Two.

Two Suspects to a Crime that only one was Guilty to.

One who gave up the challenge due to Hubris.

The other, Cheated.

Though Confidence is admirable.

And So is Resourcefulness.

But in The End What Mattered?

Did Anything Really?

Only When Teetering On The Far Edge Of A Cliff, Can One Truly See Everything.

And What was There at Edge of this Cliff, But Shark infested waters and a Small, Marshmallow Shaped Safe Zone.

Heather held her breath and her Cool as She stared Forward, trying to ignore the nagging feeling inside that this was it.

Izzy sat tall and Confident, positive the others could see her innocence.

And What if They Did? 

Heather's greatest Fear was Izzy’s only Hope.

A Thought that they Dangled from, Like bait on a String.

Hopeless to their Fate, Praying for a Miracle.

But only One Would Get Their Prayers Answered. 

Chris looked between the two as he spoke, “And the Final Marshmallow Goes Too…”

The two sat at the edge of their seat waiting in anticipation for their answer.

Chris smiled as he held out the last marshmallow-

“Heather.”

Heather let out a breath she didn’t mean to hold, as she walked with dignity of to the others.

Izzy also let out a breath, hers a gasp of shock saturated in a feeling of betrayal. She stood, gawking at her former teammates, “Wha-! You’re Saying You Actually _Believed_ Her! She Was TOTALLY LYING!!!! It Was Like, SO Obvious! Like, REALLY GU-” Before she could finish a Sack was placed over her head, and she was carried off to the boat of losers by Chef Hatchet.

With that, “The Lunatic” was wrongfully sent home.

How many others will have a Similar Fate I Wonder?

Only Time can Tell.

Chris smiled at the others, “Have a Good Night's Sleep Tonight. You’re All Safe.” His smile turned mischievous, “For Tonight.”

* * *


	4. Dodge-Brawl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens play Dodge-Ball, and Loyalties are Tested, all while romance floats through the Air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the Wait! I'd like to thank my Friend Talia, who gave me a lot of Writing Advice that Helped me get this out! I'd also like to think my Other Dear friends, My Love Jordan, The Yellow Brick Road, Jupiter and Lil' Jord for Looking over bits when I Got Self-Conscious!  
> I Hope the Wait was Worth it, and that the Next one Won't Be as Long!  
> Thanks for Waiting!

The Main Lodge was filled with the sounds of idle chatter and cutlery tapping against plastic. 

“Thank You.” Courtney nodded to Chef after he slopped what she was told were eggs onto her plate. She turned to sit with her team; finding Eva and Bridgette already seated across from each other at the end of the table. 

Bridgette glanced up and noticed Courtney, prompting the Surfer to smile and wave, “Courtney! Over Here!” she patted the empty spot to her left.

Courtney smiled back, taking a small step towards them, however what she noticed next stopped her in her tracks. 

At the opposite end of the table were the other seated Bass, Geoff, DJ and Duncan. All whispering to each other, as they glanced at Eva with scowls.

* * *

* * *

“Normally, Eva and Bridgette would be Prime Choices for Allies,” Courtney explained, “But After Eva’s... _Incident_ , Yesterday, The Rest of the Team has it out for Her! And Anyone Associated with Her…” She crossed her arms as she continued, “I’ve Seen the Others give _Bridgette_ The Stink Eye.” Courtney threw her arms into the air, “BRIDGETTE! One Of The Most Laid Back, Sweetest People I’ve Ever Met! And That’s _Including_ Myself! Girls Like Bridgette Don’t Get Stink Eyes! But because of her loyalty to Eva… I Just Can’t Get Mixed Up In That!” She held her hand to her face in thought, “Though Loyalty is a Very Good Trait for an Ally to Have…”

* * *

* * *

Courtney glanced between the two groups, before making her way over with the boys, avoiding further eye contact with Bridgette.

Though Courtney wasn’t looking at them, she could feel their eyes burning into the back of her skull.

Taking a spot next to DJ, Courtney began picking at her food before Duncan grabbed her attention, “Hey, Princess,” Courtney looked up to find him leaned over the table as he addressed her, “Me and The Guys are gonna Vote out the Hot Head Next elimination. You In?”

Courtney fidgeted, “Well, If All of the Boys are on your Side Why do You Need Me?”

“We Don’t Have Harold or Tyler.” Geoff explained, peering at her from around DJ.

“If We Could Count on You, That’d be a Guaranteed Four Votes.” said Duncan.

DJ looked down at Courtney with kind, yet sorrowful, eyes,”I Know it seems Mean to Gang Up on her like this,” He gestured discreetly at Eva, “But The Girls Crazy! You Can’t Trust Her!”

Courtney followed DJ’s gesture to find Eva eating with her signature stern look; then her sausage began to squirm off of her plate prompting her to stab viciously at it until it stopped.

DJ, and Geoff gulped at the sight as Duncan leaned closer into Courtney's face, “So? Are You In, Chicken Wing?”

Courtney glanced side to side, pondering her options, before her eyes landed on the glop in front of her, “I’ll Consider It.”

===

As Heather, Beth and Lindsay took their seats at the Gophers Table, Tyler strutted into the room. He glanced over at Lindsay, giving a cool nod, before stumbling on his own feet, and colliding with the stack of semi clean trays. 

Rushing over to the crash Lindsay helped him up, “Oh My Gosh, Are You Ok?”

He attempted to gain composure, as he gave a hard sniff, “Aw, yeah. That Was Nuthin’ to a _Skilled_ Athlete, Like Myself!”

Lindsay giggled, before being pulled away by Heather, “Cool! Glad You’re Okay!” Heather's tone sounded sweet, but something about it made Tyler feel uneasy.

Heather brought Lindsay back to the table, sitting her across from Beth, before speaking, “Hey, Gang, Why Don’t We Go Over Those Rules Again, M’kay?” The other two nodded, “Awesome! Rule 1: I’m The Captain of this Alliance, So _I_ Get to Make The Rules.” As she spoke she counted the rules on her fingers, bringing up a second as she continued, “Rule Number 2: -” She paused, prompting one of the others to answer.

Lindsay smiled as she recalled the next rule, “Breaking The Rules can Result in Getting Kicked Out of The Alliance?” 

Heather Smiled at her, “Good!” Lindsay lit up at the praise as Heather moved on, “Number 3, I Can Borrow Any Of _Your_ Stuff Without Asking, But Mine Is _Strictly_ Off Limits.”

Beth frowned as she raised her hand, “Um, I Don’t Know About That One… It Doesn’t Really Theem… Fair?”

Heather glanced down at her with a smile, “I Can Understand The Confusion. See, Beth, I’m The Captain, Which means My Needs are More Important. I Need the Extra Resources to be at My Best Performance!” her smile morphed into a worried look, “Anything Less, and, well, How Am Supposed to Protect You From Elimination?”

Beth pondered the explanation, “I Gueth That Makes Senthe…”

“Cool!” Heather smiled, “So, We All Agree?” The other two nodded. “Oh, And Lindsay,” The blonde looked over to her, smiling, “I Know We were All Tired Last Time I Said This but,” Heather locked onto her eyes with a severe stare, “Dating Anyone On The Enemy Team Is Forbidden. That’s A Rule. Do We Understand?”

Lindsay’s smile dropped as she gulped and nodded.

Heather's expression quickly switched back to a sweet one, “Awesome!”

===

Cody sat at the opposite end of the Gophers table, carefully inspecting his slop, when his new friends sat to join him. The missing three fell onto the seats with exhausted moans. “What’s Wrong with You Guys?” Cody questioned.

Leshawna’s face collided with the table as Gwen spoke with even more bite than usual, “Leshawna and I didn’t get _Any_ sleep last night, thanks to A CERTAIN _SOMEONE_ -” She flipped her head around locking eyes with Beth, who had looked over to her due to the change in volume, “-Snoring _All NIGHT.”_

“Well We Didn’t Hear Anything,” said Heather, not looking up from her meal, “Right Lindsay?”

“Totally!” She agreed, “But Like, I was Wearing Ear Buds.” 

Heather smiled at Gwen, “You Should’ve Probably Brought Earbuds If You're Such A Light Sleeper.”

Gwen's eyes stayed on Heather for a murderous moment, before turning away and rubbing her face, “I’m _Too_ tired for them…”

Cody looked at Trent, “What about You?”

Trent stared at Cody in disbelief, “Are You _Serious,_ man??”

Cody looked at him blankly, 

“You Don’t Hear It????” 

“….”

“Owen, Man! How Can Anyone Sleep With All That NOISE!” Trents head fell into his hands.

“Sleepin’ out on The Grass was The Best Sleep I got Since Comin’ Here.” Leshawna mumbled.

“Same.” The other two sleep deprived teens echoed their agreement.

* * *

* * *

Cody rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke to the camera, “I guess I’ve Always been a Pretty Heavy Sleeper…” He smiled, “Guess It’s Finally Comin’ In Handy!”

* * *

* * *

“Hey Everyone!” Chris called, “It’s Sadie and Katie!”

The Bass let out cheers as the two best friends stumbled into the lodge. They paused at the praise, giving tired smiles and waves. Courtney was about to call them over to the seat she had saved for them, but was beaten to the punch. 

“Hey, Guys!” Bridgette smiled scooting over a little for them to sit, “I went ahead and Got you Breakfast.” 

Sadie and Katie sat next to Bridgette, the two leaning on each other as the blonde handed them their trays. “Wow, Thanks Bridgette! This Is So Nice.” Katie yawned.

“Totally Nice.” Sadie echoed.

Eva clapped at the two, “You Two Surpassed Expectations. Congrats.”

The two smiled, “Really?” 

Eva nodded, “To Be Honest, I Had Absolutely No Faith in Either Of You.” The two’s smiles fell, causing Eva to panic a little, “So I Was Pleasantly Surprised! Go Team!” she laughed nervously.

* * *

* * *

“I’ve Gotta Be Careful.” Eva sat in the confessional, arms crossed, “I Really Let My Temper Get The Better Of Me Yesterday, And Now I’m On Everyone's Crap-List. I Don’t Blame ‘Em, But I Still Don’t Wanna Be There!” She rolled her shoulders, popping them, “I Can Only Count On Bridgette Right Now. I Thought Maybe I Had Courtney on My Side, But That’s a Hard No. Right Now I Got To Make Sure Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb Don’t Have A Change Of Heart, Too.” Eva’s eyes widened as she corrected herself, “I-I Mean, Sadie and Katie….”

* * *

* * *

“Okay, Campers Listen Up!” Chris walked across the floor, clapping his hands to grab the teens attention, “The Next Challenge Begins In Ten Minutes!” He turned to them, smiling, “And Be Sure To _Bring IT!”_

* * *

The campers filed into the odd glass enclosure, which had a court for a floor. 

As the teams pooled together, with little line for separation, Tyler slid up next to Lindsay, flashing a flirtatious smile. She smiled back, but it was interrupted by Heather forcing herself between the two. 

Heather turned to Tyler, looking him over “Hey, I Think The Bass Are Standing Over There…” She pointed over to his teammates with a smile.

* * *

* * *

Tyler glared at the camera, “What’s Her Deal!”

* * *

* * *

Hesitantly, Tyler followed Heather’s point, walking with an aura of sorrow. 

===

Geoff walked over to Bridgette, who was helping Sadie and Katie to the bleachers so they could rest. He lent down to her, whispering “Hey, Can We Talk…?”

She glanced up at him with a quirked brow, “Uh, yeah, Sure.”

He looked around before pulling her closer, “Listen, You’re Really Chill, and Easy To Vibe With.”

Bridgette smiled, with a blush, “Thanks…”

“But-”

“But?”

He held his hands up in defense, “But! I Think It Might Be Better For You To Stay Away From Eva-”

“Why?”

“Well, It’s Just Nobody Likes Her, And I Thin-”

Bridgette crossed her arms as she held her head up with confidence, locking eyes with Geoff, “Well I Like Her.” 

Before Geoff could respond, Chef blew his whistle, calling everyone's attention.

The now weary teens clustered together as they watched Chef march past them, glaring down at them as he passed. The intimidating man wasn’t in his normal attire, instead he was in a referee's uniform, though his little Chefs hat remained proudly atop his head. 

Oh I Wonder What The Challenge Is.

Certainly Not A Sport?

Chef stopped at the end of the court. When he got to where Chris stood, he turned sharply to face the teens. 

The Host took his cue to explain the challenge, “Today's Challenge Is The Classic Game Of Dodge-ball.” Chris produced a dodge-ball from behind his back, presenting it to the campers, “The First Rule Of Dodge-ball Is-”

“Do not talk about Dodge-ball.” Noah spoke with his signature look of disinterest. A look that quickly melted into a large proud smile as Owen let out a chuckle.

Chris continued, seemingly unbothered “As I Was Saying,” He bounced the ball in his hand, “If you get hit with the ball,” he chucked the ball at Noah, knocking the nerd flat on his back. “You’re Out.”

Owen helped up his groaning friend, before picking up the ball and tossing it back to Chris. The host caught the ball, before continuing “If You Catch The Ball, The _Thrower_ Is Out.” 

Still rubbing his abdomen, Noah rolled his eyes, “Throwing and Catching Balls. Gee, Another Mentally Challenging Test.” 

Owen smirked at the snark, before Lindsay leaned over, “I Know!” causing the two boys to share a worried expression. 

“Okay, Now DJ,” Chris threw a ball over to him, “Try To Hit Me.” Chris turned to Chef, accepting another ball, “If You're Holding a Ball You Can, Use It To Deflect A Ball.” DJ Threw his ball at Chris, who successfully deflected. “BUT If The Ball Gets Knocked Out Of Your Hands,” Chris dropped the ball, “You’re Out.” 

Lindsay raised her hand, “So, What Do I Do When The Ball Comes At Me, Again?”

“YOU DODGE!” Chris then hurled a ball at Lindsay. It slammed into her head, knocking her down. Chris Recoiled, “OOOO! _You’re_ Supposed _To Dodge!”_ he scolded.

“Ooow,” Lindsay held her forehead as Beth helped her up, “Right…” she frowned, as she removed her hand revealing a large bruise and a growing welt. 

Chris continued, “You Have One Minute Until Game Time. Use That Time To Decide Who’s Playing Round One, And Remember Five To A Team! So Choose Wisely.” 

* * *

“Alright, Everybody.” Eva and Courtney both said as they clapped, before awkwardly locking eyes.

* * *

* * *

“Obviously I Should Have Been The One Leading The Team,” Eva began, “But I Have To Be All Nice-y Nice-y Right Now.”

* * *

* * *

Eva gave a forced smile as she gestured for Courtney to continue.

* * *

* * *

“Is She Trying to Make Me Feel Bad For Not Eating Breakfast With Them?!” Courtney spoke, flustered “What Game Is She Playing?!?”

* * *

* * *

Courtney smiled an equally forced smile, before nodding her thanks “As I Was Saying,” She turned to the others, “We need Five to a team, People, and It should be Our Best Players!”

Courtney put hands on her hips as she continued, “With Sadie and Katie Still Exhausted That Obviously Leaves Them Out.” She scanned the teens in front of her before pointing at DJ, “You! You’re In!” DJ jumped a little and pointed at himself, before Courtney continued, “You Two!” Geoff and Tyler looked at her, “You’re in.” She looked Harold up and down, “Not You.” Harold bowed his head into a sulk as she continued, “And, Of Course,” she brought her hands to her chest, “Myself.”

“Excuse Me,” Eva brought her hand up, though she tried to be polite her voice was still firm, “That’s Only Four. You Need A Fifth Player.”

Courtney opened her mouth to speak, before getting cut off by Duncan, “And I Volunteer!” He walked over to DJ and Geoff, high-fiving.

Courtney frowned at him, before Bridgette spoke, “What About Eva!” she gestured to her friend, “She’s _Definitely_ Our Best Player!” 

“Well, Meathead Can Wait Her Turn, Can’t She?” said Duncan.

Bridgette scowled and Eva growled, before catching herself, “Fair…. Is… _Fair..”_ The jock spoke through a gritted smile.

“If That’s Settled,” Courtney smiled as she extended her hand.

The rest of the team met Courtney’s hand, creating a circle with their bodies, before flying their hands into the air, “LET’S GO, KILLER BASS!”

  
===

The Gophers stood clustered around their bleachers.

Well, most of them stood; Trent, Gwen and Leshawna sat on the bottom row, yawning. The two girls leaned against each other for support, while Trent sat hunched over, his chin resting in his hands.

Heather spoke to the team, “Alright, Everyone! Let’s Figure Out Who’s Playing! Any Volunteers?” 

Cody raised his hand, “Oh! I’m A _Total_ Athlete!” He smiled down at Gwen, who’s eyes were shut.

Heather looked the geek up and down, not impressed. She pulled her sunglasses down as she spoke, “That’s Really Cute, But We Need The _Best_ Right Now.” Cody opened his mouth to speak, but Heather cut him off, “We Can’t Underestimate The Bass Again, Cody. That’s How They Won Last Time.”

Cody frowned as he processed what was said, “We Didn’t Undres-”

“If We Don’t Have Any Volunteers, I’ll Pick.” Heather scanned the team before gesturing to herself, “Me, Obviously. And Lindsay and Beth.”

Lindsay frowned as she looked over to Heather, “I Don’t Know If I Should Play….” She played with her hair, “I Don’t Really Get It.”

“A feeling you have often, I’m sure.” Noah snarked.

Lindsay looked at him nodding, grateful he understood, “Yeah!”

Heather placed a hand on Lindsay’s shoulder, “Listen, Linds, I _Know_ You Can Do This!” she lowered her glasses, “Besides, It’s Not Like We Have A Lot Of People To Pick From.” she glanced down at their tired teammates.

Lindsay nodded, “I guess…” 

Heather smiled, “Awesome!” she turned to the others, “That Leaves Justin and Owen. Perfect!” 

Noah and Cody both sat down, the latter of which was much more upset about the development. 

Owen wrapped the three girls into a hug, “WOO! LET’S DO THIS!!” 

As this group hug transpired, Justin spoke, “Actually, I Can’t.”

His four would-be-teammates looked at him with a range of disappointment, “Why Not?” Beth asked.

Justin ran his hand through his hair, smiling, “I Just Can’t Risk This Face.” He winked, “You Guys Understand, right.”

Lindsay, Owen, and Beth Definitely understood, but Heather?

Not So Much.

She pulled her sunglasses up so he could see her disapproval, “Sorry, But You Don’t Have A Choice. It’s Either You, The Sleeping Beauties, Or The Geek Squad.”

Noah and Cody glanced at each other frowning.

Justin looked over the benched teens, before kneeling next to Trent, “I Think Trent Could Do It, Easy!” he nudged him, smiling, “How About It, Pal?”

Trent jumped a little at the nudge, before turning to Justin's beautiful smile. He rubbed his neck as he spoke in a tired voice, “I, Mean I Guess I Could Play A Round?” 

“See!” Justin smiled up at Heather.

Heather flipped her hair back, annoyed, “ _Fine._ ”

“20 SECONDS!” Chris called.

===

The Two teams gathered on their designated sides, readying themselves for the start. 

Duncan pulled his two friends in for a quick huddle “OK, Boys, Here’s The Plan-”

“Should We Get The Others?” DJ asked.

“No Way! This Is All Us.” Duncan answered, “What We Need To Do Is This Thing We Did In Juvie, ‘Rush the New Guy’. We All pick Someone And Throw Our Balls Together.” He looked between them, “Got It?”

Geoff and DJ shared a look, before nodding.

* * *

* * *

“If All Goes To Plan,” Duncan explained, “Then We Win, And Me and The Boys Get Some Well Deserved Praise.” He smirked as he popped his shoulders, “And If Not, Well… If Meathead Can’t Play, She Can’t Make Up To The Team…” His voice rang with the most cocky sound, “Win-Win.” 

* * *

* * *

Six balls sat on the half court line, waiting anxiously to fulfill their purpose. The two teams stood ready on their respective sides, confidence radiating from each one.

Except Trent.

Trent Was Tired.

Chef sat high above the court, studying both sides as Chris walked towards the center line. “TEAMS READY-” He began, “BEST OUT OF FIVE WINS!” he threw his arms into the air, “NOW LET’S DODGE SOME BALL!!!!” 

With that, Chef tooted his whistle and the game began. 

Everyone went to rush for a ball, except Duncan, who stopped his two friends and led them to the back of the court.

Courtney made a focused bee-line straight to the ball closest to the bleachers, a spot no one else was going. From there she backed up and surveyed her opponents waiting for a good time to strike. Owen grabbed the two balls next to Courtney's, though how the balls were spaced they weren’t close. Much like Courtney he backed up, looking for the perfect prey. Tyler ran for the next ball, dropping to his knees to pick it up, but when his hands wrapped around it so did another pair. He looked up to see Lindsay smiling at him and pulling away, only to play with her hair, “Sorry…” she giggled.

He handed the ball to her, “Nah, it’s cool. You can have it.” 

Before the moment could get any sweeter, a ball bounced off Tyler's head.

Chef whistled and directed the boy to the bleachers with a point.

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 5-**

Tyler and Lindsay looked up to the source to find Heather, having retrieved the ball again, “Thanks For Throwing The Game!” she smirked, “Super Nice Of You.” 

As she spoke a ball drilled through the air, right in the direction of her snarky face. Heather gasped, certain she was done for, when she was saved by none other than Beth! Beth moved quicker than expected, swiftly bouncing the enemy’s ball off her own.

Courtney growled, frustrated, when she, too, noticed a ball hurtling towards her direction. She quickly dropped to the floor, avoiding the hit, before searching for the culprit. 

Owen was down a ball. 

As Courtney ran to retrieve the ball now on their side, Owen called toward the trio of girls, “Yo! Pass Me That Ball!” 

Beth nodded as she threw him the one in her hands and picked up the one by her feet. That’s when Heather noticed the three boys at the back of the court, “Aw!” She called to them, “Too Scared To Play With The Big Kids, Boys??” 

“Why Don’t You Find Out, Sweet Cheeks!” Duncan yelled back.

The three girls then threw their balls towards their targets, but the boys were fast. Each ball fell perfectly between gripped hands. The Girls gasped.

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 2-**

* * *

* * *

Duncan smirked at the camera, “Piece of Cake.”

* * *

* * *

Trent stood out in the open, trying his best to process his situation.

He was a sitting duck

Three balls soared through the air, each colliding against the musician with painful thumps.

The force knocked Trent to the ground.

“TRENT!” Cody yelled, shaking Leshawna and Gwen from their slumber. Noah and Justin also looked up to the sound, but cared far less about the outcome; Justin returned his attention to the glass walls as he futzed with his hair, and Noah went back to picking at the bench, wishing he had thought to bring a book. 

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 1-**

Owen Turned his attention to the three boys before letting out a war cry, “GREAT _GATSBY,_ THAT IS _IT!!_ ” he charged to the mid-line and rammed a ball through the air; DJ moved to catch it, but due to the velocity at which it was thrown, it sled right through his palms and collided with his chest.

“OOF!” DJ’s hands moved to comfort his wounds, as the ball fell to his feet.

Geoff looked over to his friend, as a ball slammed against his cheek, forcing spit out of his mouth, before throwing him on the ground.

“OUCH!” Chris flinched, but he smiled amused.

  
  


**-Bass: 2-**

**-Gophers: 1-**

The final boys locked eyes from across the court, before both’s eyes darted to the discarded balls. The two watched each other carefully before sprinting towards their goal. Duncan reached his first, wrapping his hand around one before flinging it at his opponent. Owen fell to the floor, sliding across the court and just narrowly avoiding the projectile, ending just short of the three balls which hit Trent. Duncan threw another ball, but Owen moved faster than he looked, bouncing the delinquents ball off of the one he had just grabbed. Owen picked up another ball as he stood.

Duncan was out of ammo, while Owen was Locked and Loaded. The ball of fun had a different aura about him as he locked superior eyes onto the punk, relishing in the moment as he prepared to throw his first ball.

Sadly, this Hunter forgot that Bass Swim In Schools.

A ball flew through the air and it bounced against Owen’s shoulder.

“Wha-” he looked over and saw a smug Courtney waving at him.

  
  


**-Bass: 2-**

**-Gophers: 0-**

Chris grinned, “BASS WIN ROUND ONE!”

Owen dropped to his knees, letting the balls roll away from him as he cried, “NOOOOOO!”

“WHAT WAS THAT, _OWEN!_ ” Heather scolded, as she tore off her glasses. 

“Really dropped the Ball there, Man.” Justin shook his head.

Flipping around to him, she shifted her glare, “YOU! THIS IS _YOUR_ FAULT!” she pointed at him with her glasses, fuming. 

He threw his hands up in defense, “Woah, Take A Chill Pill.” 

===

The Bass ran over to Courtney, cheering. Bridgette wrapped her arms around her, “WOO! Way To Go, Courtney!” 

Eva approached her as well, “Great Hustle Out There, Chicken W-” she bit her tongue and swallowed her words, “ _Pal.”_ she forced out before looking her up and down, and planting a stiff, yet friendly, fist on her shoulder. 

* * *

* * *

“I Do NOT Appreciate These Mind Games!” Courtney glared at the camera.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Heather stood in front of her seated team, glaring down at them with crossed arms. Her glasses sat high upon her head, as her gray eyes pierced like cold, sharpened daggers. Her glower steadied on the four sleepy Gophers; her calculating gaze didn’t soften as she watched Leshawna, who had moved to Trents side, carefully looking over her friend's bruised face. 

Heather sighed, pulling down her glasses, “Trent, You’re Out.”

He yawned, “That’s Fair.”

She turned her head to Justin, “You’re In.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but Heather didn’t let him.

She pulled her glasses off, “I’m Not Asking.”

“Listen, Heather,” He continued without caution, “You’re Pretty, So You Understand That This,” he gestured to his face, smiling “Isn’t Something I Can Risk.” 

Heather walked into him, barely leaving an inch between them, before turning her head up just enough to lock eyes with him, “I Promise You.” She brought a hand to her hip, “ _You’re_ Not Risking _Anything._ ” 

Justin frowned, their eyes focused on each other for a solid moment.

Instead of responding to her, though, he turned a charming smile to the bleachers, and Heather followed his gaze. “What About Noah?-” His smile fell, “What Are You Doing?”

Noah was sitting on the bleachers.

If You Wanna Call It That.

Throughout the challenge Noah had grown more and more bored with it all, slowly transferring his rear to the second row of bleachers foot path, leaving his legs to drape over where he once sat, and he rested his head on the seat behind him. 

He looked dead.

Owen tapped, Noah on the shoulder, before gesturing to the two campers looking at him. The nerd lifted his head just enough to see them, “What?”

Justin was taken aback, but Heather didn’t miss a beat, “Congrats, You’re In The Game.”

“Nope.” He let his head fall back to its place. 

Heather’s eyes twitched, “Excuse Me?”

“Listen,” He waved his hand, “you _could_ put me in, but sports aren't really my forte, so we’ll lose, and It’ll be your fault.” 

“We’ve Already Lost _Once_.”

“Oh My Bad,” Noah adjusted his posture so he could look at Heather, “Of course, when you're losing, you _obviously_ sub in your _worst_ player.” He laid back down, “How _foolish of me._ ” 

Heather glared, before Leshawna spoke up “Whatever, _I’ll_ Go In.”

“But aren’t You Tired?” Beth asked with concern. 

“It’s Fine, Girl,” Leshawna smiled, “I Think I’ve Hit My Seco-” she yawned, before sheepishly clearing her throat, “My Second Wind....” 

“Fine, Whatever!” Heather huffed, “Leshawna’s subbing Trent.” 

===

Eva walked to stand in front of her team, “Good Work Out-”

“Great Hustle Out There, Boys,” Duncan patted his friends' shoulders, “And of Course How Could I Forget About Our MVP,” Duncan wrapped his arm around Courtney, “Princess Chicken-Wing!”  
Courtney carefully removed his arm, trying to hide her disgust, “Thank You Duncan.” She smiled as she let go of his arm, before her expression hardened, “And Don’t Call Me That!”  
Duncan shrugged, “Whatever you Say, _Your Highness.”_

As this exchange transpired, Eva glared at Duncan with tightened fists.

* * *

* * *

Eva sighed, rubbing her face, before letting her arms fall into her lap and looking up at the camera, “This Whole, ‘No-Hitting-Teammates Thing’ is _A Lot Harder_ Than I Thought.”

* * *

* * *

“Excuse, Me! Guys?” Bridgette called the others attention to where she stood next to Eva. Once she got what she wanted she gestured to her friend, “Eva Was Saying Something.”

Duncan sniffed, “I Didn’t Hear Her.”

Eva growled as Bridgette crossed her arms with a scowl, “Well _I_ _Did.”_

Harold rose his hand, “I, Too, Heard Eva Speak.”

Duncan glared at the geek, before he rolled his eyes at the surfer, “Well, What is It Then, Muscle Head?”

Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath so she wouldn’t destroy Duncan _and_ his mohawk, “I Was Just Gonna Say: Great Job Everyone.” She clapped hard and serious, “Keep It Up.” 

“Cool,” Duncan crossed his arms, “But I Already Said That, Sooo…. “ he smirked at her, “Next Time You Can Shut Up, K?”

Eva snarled as her fists tightened and she took a fearsome step towards him, before Bridgette's arm extended in front of her. Bridgette opened her mouth, before shutting it.

* * *

* * *

“I Know What Duncan's Doing!” Bridgette glared at the camera with the same intensity that she had given Ezekiel on the first day, “The Guys Are Trying To Get Her To _Snap_ Again! They're Trying To Get The Team To _TURN_ On Her!” Bridgette let out a frustrated groan, “UHG! They Are _SO_ Unbelievable! What? She Got A Few Ruined Tank-Tops Dirty? GROW _UP!”_

* * *

* * *

Bridgette turned to Courtney, keeping her arm in front of her friend she took a single step forward, “I Think Eva Should Sub In For Tyler.”

“What?!?” The aforementioned boy exclaimed.

Courtney held her chin in thought, “He _Was_ A Weak Point Last Game…..”

“WHAT?!?!?” He gasped,”Listen Dudes, What Happened Last Round Was A TOTAL _FLUKE!”_ He looked at everyone, “Just Give Me A _CHANCE_ and I’ll _Prove_ IT!”

“I Don’t Know….” Courtney glanced towards Eva, before Duncan spoke up yet again.

“Well, Ya’Know What They Say,” He smirked, “If It Ain't Broke, Don’t Fix It.”

Courtney looked towards him, and then Geoff and DJ, all of whom were staring at her expectantly; She turned to Bridgette and Eva only to find similar looks. Which was the best choice? Tactically? Courtney wasn’t quite sure…

She looked to the ground and sighed, “I…. I Suppose We _Did_ Win Last Round…..”

* * *

* * *

“It’s Just Logical!” Courtney cried, defensive. “It’s Basic Math! It’s Eva and Bridgette VS The Rest of the Team!” She crossed her arms “I’m In The Right.” She stared at the camera, before glancing away, something like shame in her eyes.

* * *

* * *

Bridgette's mouth dropped, and Eva crossed her arms as she looked at her with disapproval. Before The Surfer could confront her Chris called Out, “20 MORE SECONDS!!” 

===

The teams found their places on the court. 

The teens stood at the ready, waiting for Chris’ signal. Duncan, Geoff and DJ shared a confirming nod, as Tyler cracked his neck, determined. The Gophers looked fiercely at the enemy, fire in their eyes.

“READY!?” Chris called, “GO!” 

And with that, Chef blew his whistle and the mad dash for balls began.

As the three Bass Boys fell back to continue their strat, Tyler sprinted for the balls along with Courtney. The girl quickly secured a ball before doubling back, as Tyler snatched two, and fumbled backwards, surveying carefully. Owen also grabbed two balls, while Beth secured the final one.

Lindsay, however, stood at the line, confused, alone and without a ball.

Courtney noticed her opening, jumping on the opportunity immediately. The ball flung towards the blonde, but just as quickly Beth jumped between them, bouncing the enemy's ball off of hers. Courtney’s fists tightened as the ball rolled back to the Bass.

Lindsay gasped, "Oh!" Wrapping her arms around her she continued, "You’re, like, A Total Life-Saver!!"

"Th-tay Focushed, Lindz!" Beth handed Lindsay her ball, as she pulled her away from the line.

In the midst of the battle field, Tyler cracked his neck seriously. "It's Showtime." he whispered, before spinning with both arms extended from his side, each gripping a ball. He then released them, one hitting the back of Justin's, and the other bouncing off Bridgette's head.

"Hey" the pretty boy flipped around, “Watch The Hair!!!”

"Ow!" Bridgette's hand rushed to her head.

"HEY!" Eva growled as she stood up, "WATCH IT!"

Tyler gulped, as Courtney turned to them distressed, "Bridgette! Are You Ok?" Suddenly Courtney’s train of thought was interrupted, as a ball collided with the back of her head, "OW!"

She flipped around to find the culprit, taken aback to find Lindsay bouncing and clapping, "I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!"

"Good One, Lindz!" Beth smiled.

"WOO! WAY TO GO LINDSAY!" Owen cheered.

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 5-**

Courtney approached Bridgette, extending a careful hand to her, “Are You Alright?”

Bridgette recoiled back, before looking away, “I’m _Fine_.”

Courtney sighed, taking her seat, crest-fallen.

* * *

* * *

“Bridgette is so sweet and kind and funny…” Courtney began, “A Presence like her’s is welcomed in an unfamiliar place! But….” She looked down “I’m Just not Sure if her Companionship would be Worth jeopardizing The Money…” she sighed, “If only there was a Way to pull her away from Eva, and to have her be sensible and side with the others…”

* * *

* * *

  
  


Back on the court, Heather retrieved the ball that hit Justin, before aiming at Tyler, who hops down to pick up another ball. Her ball instead soars past him, hitting the back wall. Heather let out a frustrated groan, as Tyler began to spin once more. This time the ball actually went in the correct direction, crazy I know. It flew incredibly and surprisingly fast, before ramming into Lindsay's face, knocking her down.

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 4-**

His team cheered as he cried out, “NO!!!” and ran to her side.

“No?!?” Eva huffed “What Do You Mean No! You Got A Point, Bone Head!”

* * *

* * *

Eva frowned at the camera, with her arms crossed, “I Hate Men.”

* * *

* * *

Tyler helped Lindsay up, as she held her face in pain, “Oohh, Tyler?” She looked up at him, before growing more distraught, “Oh My Gosh, My Face! How’s My Face!?” She put her hand down, revealing a terrible growing welp around her eye. Such a welp complemented the one on her forehead nicely. 

Tyler winced, before smiling, “It’s Really…. Not that bad!” he took her hand, “You Still look great!” 

She smiled, “Really?” 

“Really.”

The moment was sweet, and it remained that way in spite of Leshawna approaching them, picking up the ball next to them, and lightly thudding it against the boy.

“TYLER!!!” His team cried.

**-Bass: 3-**

**-Gophers: 4-**

“Wanna Go For a Walk?” Tyler smiled.

Lindsay looked away, biting her lip in thought.

* * *

* * *

“It Was Super Important That I said NO!” Lindsay explained.

* * *

* * *

She looked at him, “OK!”

Lindsay and Tyler walked off, causing Heather scoff. As this happened Duncan, Geoff and DJ each took a ball which had made its way to their side. Duncan smirked as he nodded at Heather, the other two nodding in understanding before pelting the teen with three rubber balls.  
  


**-Bass: 3-**

**-Gophers: 3-**

  
“ACK!” Heather cried, before glaring at the boys, “OVERKILL, MUCH?”   
“Sorry!” DJ called back, but all Duncan did was laugh.   
“Maybe You Should Have Been Payin’ Attention, Cupcake!”

As Duncan taunted, and DJ trotted to retrieve a discarded ball, another shot from the enemy spiraled towards the punks face. Before he could recognize what was happening, Geoff hopped in front of him, catching the ball with an “Oomph” against his chest.

Duncan looked at his friend, surprised, before they both shared a victorious smile. 

Owen fell to his knees shouting, “NOOOOOOO!!!!” 

**-Bass: 3-**

**-Gophers: 2-**

Beth ran over to Leshawna's aid, who seemed like her mind was elsewhere, gripping her arm, she spoke, “Lethawna! FOCUSH!”  
  


* * *

* * *

Beth threw her arms in the air, “What ith WITH Theze Thity Girlz And Not Focushing!!!”

* * *

* * *

Leshawna yawned, Rubbing her eyes, “Right, Right! Sorry!” as Beth led her to the three balls that hit Heather. 

Geoff looked at his friend, raising his ball, but Duncan waved for him to wait. 

Beth grabbed a ball ”Stay Clothe! That way I Can Protect You!”

Leshawna shook her head, “I Appreciate it, But I Don’t Need any Help! I Made it this Far, Just Fine!” 

Beth frowned, unsure, when Eva called out to her team, “WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS _WAITING FOR????”_ she hollered, _“DO SOMETHING!!!!”_

The shouts made DJ jump, and in a panic he flung his ball. It soared through the air, and it’s destination was Leshawna’s yawning face. Luckily for her, Beth hopped out in front of her, bouncing DJ’s ball off her own.

Leshawana chuckled, embarrassed, “Maybe… I Could Use Some Help?” 

“DUDE!” Duncan scolded, “WHAT WAS THAT??”

DJ was tearing up, as he cried back, “I PANICKED!”

Eva called to them, “NICE ONE! MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU’LL _HIT SOMEBODY!!!”_

* * *

* * *

Eva stared at the camera, arms crossed, “What? That was Nice. It Was Encouraging.” She looked to the side, “He Can Thank Me Later.”

* * *

* * *

The two girls readied their balls, as the three boy’s prepared themselves. 

Beth hurled her ball straight to DJ, who caught it with little issue, while it was unclear Who Leshawna was trying to hit, as her tired arm ended up more Rolling the ball, rather than throwing. 

Snickers echoed in the auditorium as Leshawna cringed at herself.

* * *

* * *

Leshawna held her head in her hands, “Ok, Ok, So Maybe I Was _Too_ Tired to Play.” She looked at the camera, “Sorry, Y’all…”

* * *

* * *

**-Bass: 3-**

**-Gophers: 1-**

Clunky black boots with red soles stumped their way to Leshawna’s discarded ball. It softly collided with them, before being held up by Duncan, who tossed it menacingly in the air. 

The three boys stared at Leshawna, mockingly.

But Leshawna wasn’t gonna let them intimidate her! She gave them a ‘Come At Me Gesture’ before calling out, “What Are ‘Ya Waitn’ For, Boys?? BRING IT!”

“WHAT _ARE_ YOU WAITING FOR???” Eva yelled.

The boys ignored both girls, before slamming their Dodge-balls against Leshawna, though she seemed to catch one, it didn’t really matter. 

**-Bass: 2-**

**-Gophers: 0-**

Chris clapped, “THE KILLER BASS WIN ANOTHER ROUND!!” He turned to the Gophers shaking his head, “I Was Expecting more from you guys.”

The Bass cheered once again, rushing over to the remaining boys.  
“Impressive Work!” Harold bowed as he praised his team.

Duncan rolled his eyes at the geek, while DJ shined a bright smile. Geoff also smiled, tipping his hat slightly, before glancing up and noticing Bridgette and Eva glaring at them. He looked away, before rubbing the back of his neck.

===

Heather stood by the bleachers, sunglasses sat upon her head, watching the enemy with a scowl.

* * *

Heather paced in front of her team, every now and then shooting them glares. Beth watched her nervously, “It’th Okay, Heather! We Can Th-till Win!” 

She glanced down at the farm-girl with a cocked brow, “How?”

Beth rubbed her hands together before smiling up at her, “Team Th-pirit?” 

Heather groaned as she rubbed her face. 

“I Think That’s Exactly What We Need.”

Heather slowly moved her intense gaze onto Justin, in hopes that it’d kill him. 

“This Team _Could_ Use Some Optimism.” he shrugged.

“Speaking of Which?” Leshawna looked around, “Where’s Lindsay?” 

Heather made some sort of noise, “Uhg! Don’t Even MENTION That _TRAITOR_ To Me!” 

This got people's attention.

Heather cleared her throat, before pulling her sunglasses down, “Sorry, She Just went off with the Enemy. That’s Suspicious.” 

Everyone exchanged glances, before Owen spoke up “I’m Sure they’re Just Hangin’ Out!” He chuckled a little, “I Mean, I Don’t Blame The Guy!” 

Heather rolled her eyes under her glasses before continuing, “All I Know is, Now We Have TWO Spots To Fill,” She turned to Justin and Noah, frowning.

Cody jumped between her and her gaze, “I Can Do It!” he put his hands together pleading “I’ll Do AWESOME, I SWEAR!” 

She ran her hand across her face, “Fine, Cody’s in.” She took her glasses off and gave a hopeful look towards the Pretty Boy, “Justin?”

He glanced up at her, “Heather?”

“We Need Another Player!”

“And _I_ Need My FACE!”

“Noah!” Owen looked down at his reclining friend, “Why Don’t You Play?”

Noah opened one eye before shutting it again, “No. Sports aren’t my forte, remember?.”

“Aw, C’mon! It’ll Be Fun!” he smiled.

Noah sat up and looked at Owen with an unreadable face, before shrugging, “Alright.”

Heather’s jaw dropped, “Excuse Me?”

Owen cheered!

“It Was That Easy? You’re Joking, Right?”

Noah shrugged again, “I like fun.”

Heather sighed, “Whatever, The Nerd Patrol is in.” She smiled, “Let’s Go Team!”

* * *

* * *

Heather frowned at the camera, “We’re Doomed.”

* * *

* * *

  
  
  


The Bass were faced with a similar problem, now down a Tyler. 

Courtney crossed her arms, “So Who Are We Putting in?” 

Bridgette stood up “I Thi-”

“I Think Bridge Should Play!” Geoff suggested, before smiling at her.

* * *

* * *

Geoff looked at the camera, “I’m Not Tryin’ To Hide It, I Like Bridgette!” he rubbed his neck, “But The Guys Don’t Like her Right Now…” He turned back to the camera and smiled, “But If I Could Get Them To _Hang_ with Her, I KNOW They’ll Change Their Minds!”

* * *

* * *

Courtney smiled and clapped her hands together, “That’s a GREAT Idea!”

“Welcome to the Team, Board Shorts-” Duncan smirked.

“NO!” Bridgette yelled over them, “We SHOULD Put In Eva!” 

“Fine, We’ll Vote.” Duncan raised his hand, “All in favor of Board Shorts?” Geoff rose his hand along with DJ; Harold thought it over before joining the vote. Courtney nervously tapped her fingers, before also raising her hand. Duncan smirked, “That’s Five, babe. Looks like You’re in.”

Bridgette crossed her arms, and opened her mouth to refute, “It’s Fine.” Eva interrupted her, “At Least Someone Competent Is Out There.” she patted her friend on the back, receiving a smile in return. 

And with that, Chris called for the teams to get ready. The teens stood on their respective sides, staring intently at their enemy. Duncan smirked at Heather “Why Don’t You Guys Make This Easy, and Call it Quits Now?” Heather glared at him as he finished, “Save Yourself Some _Embarrassment_?”

Heather growled, but Courtney let out a surprising, though taunting, chuckle. 

The round began with another mad-dash for the balls; Bridgette moved quickly, securing three balls in her hand, before tossing them to her teammates. 

* * *

* * *

Bridgette looked at the camera, rubbing her neck sheepishly, “I Really Like Sports, but…..” She sighed, “I’m Not the Most ‘Coordinated’ when I'm not in the Water…” She smiled, “But, I Figured, If I HAD To Play, I Could Fetch Balls For The Others!” She gestured open with her hands, “That’s Helpful, Right?”

* * *

* * *

She tossed the first to DJ, who had to lean towards the ball, but did catch it. He smiled at her, before she threw another to Geoff, who had to jump a little to catch it, but tipped his hat in response. She rolled her eyes, before chucking the next ball at Duncan, who Did Not Catch It. 

The ball smacked against his face, before falling into his hands. He snarled at the surfer, “YOU DID THAT ON _PURPOSE!_ ” 

“Happy Accident!” Bridgette snickered.

“BRIDGETTE, LOOK OUT!” Courtney called.

The Surfer ducked in response, just avoiding the ball Heather had thrown, but in the process ended up falling to the ground, “I’M OK!” she assured.

On the Gophers side, Heather let out an angry huff, as Owen looked back at his friend. 

Noah stood immediately behind Owen, obviously using the larger boy as a shield and not having any desire to ACTUALLY participate. 

Owen Did Not Pick Up On This.

Owen presented Noah one of the balls he had gathered, with a smile. The nerd looked at the ball before bringing a hand up, “No Thanks.”

Before Owen could respond, he felt his side get pelted with dodge-balls. The two boys looked across the enemy line to find DJ, Geoff and Duncan high-fiving. The large athlete fell dramatically to his knees as Chef whistled.

**-Bass: 5-**

**-Gophers: 4-**

Noah patted Owen on the shoulder, rolling his eyes, before the three balls in front of him caught his attention. Noah glanced back up at the three boys, then back at the balls, slowly piecing together the puzzle.

“PAUSE THE GAME!” He exclaimed with the most emotion he had shown since arriving (though that isn’t saying much). He held his hands in front of himself, straight up and down with the space between the palms. 

Everyone stared, confused, causing Noah to fidget a little, before Owen turned to Chef. “HE MEANS ‘TIME OUT’ !” He held his hands in the time out position. 

The Gophers were soon huddled together. 

“Okay.” Noah looked between his teammates, “I Know what they’re doing.” his team listened carefully as he continued, “I don’t know what _they think_ it’s called, but they’re Focusing. It’s a tactic common in MMO’s and MMORPG’s… Well… _Ideally_ it’s common. Unless your team’s stupid. Which _is_ Common.”

Everyone stared at him with wide, confused, eyes. Well, everyone but Cody, who was not only nodding, but also snickering at Noah's ending comment. 

“Care to run through that in English?” Heather frowned.

Noah rolled his eyes, “Basically, We need to pick a target, and throw our Balls together,”

“Tho… Duncan?” Beth proposed.

“I Second Duncan.” Cody nodded.

“ _Definitely_ Duncan.” Heather agreed.

“Avenge Me.” Owen whispered.

“Obviously Duncan.” Noah once again rolled his eyes, “He’s the biggest threat, and also probably the ring Leader.” 

“Why do You figure That?” Cody asked.

“The Big Guys too Soft to Take Charge, and the Blond’s Too Stupid To Come up With it.” Noah explained.

“Wow, Noah.” Heather smiled, “You’re So Smart! Like,” She tucked her hair behind her ear, light glinting off her glasses, “I Didn’t Even Notice That!”

“Of Course _You_ Didn’t.” He deadpanned.

Heather scoffed, as Chef called down to them, “Tea Party’s Over! When I Blow This Whistle, Y’all Better Be Back On That Court!” they looked up at him before he snarled, “OR ELSE!”

The playing Gophers quickly made their way back to the game, while Leshawna sat on the bleachers looking around worried. 

“What’s Wrong?” Owen asked as he took a seat on the second row.

Leshawna sighed, “I’m Just Worried About Lindsay... “ She glanced towards the door, “Someone Ought to Check on Her…”

“Why Don’t You?”

“Hm? You Think I Should?” Leshawna was already standing up.

“TOTALLY!” Owen smiled.

Leshawna was already walking towards the door, “I Mean, If Y’all Think I Should…..”

Before Owen could convince her further, she was already out the door.

  
  
  
  


* * *

Lindsay and Tyler were strolling the shores of Wawanakwa, holding hands and swinging them gently. 

Lindsay looked down and gasped, "OhMyGosh! Taylor! Look!" She bent down pulling a cone shaped shell out of the sand. She held it with love, as she beamed “It's a Seashell!"

Tyler smiled at her, before looking around frantically and grabbing a shell. He smiled at her, "Hey, Linds, Check this One Out-" she looked up at him, only for his shell to come alive and attack. He yelped as Lindsay went to his aid, helping to remove the crab dangling from his thumb. Their hands lingered on each others for a moment, before Tyler bent down again, picking up a round skipping stone, "Here," he placed it in Lindsay’s Hand, "It's a Sand-Dollar."

Lindsay smiled, "Oh, Wow! I Never Seen One Like This!"

"Only The Best, for You."

Lindsay held it to her Chest, "Aaaaw!"

“LINDSAY! WHERE YOU AT, GIRL?!”

Lindsay perked up at her name, before calling to the source, “LONESHA!!! LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!!”

Leshawna made her way down the stairs and to the couple, “Girl, Where have You Been?” 

Lindsay showed Leshawna her treasures proudly, “Me and Taylor were looking For Seashells!”

Leshawna looked at him with a quirked brow, “Taylor?”

He shrugged.

She looked back to Lindsay’s bubbly smile, and then down to her shell and rock, which she was so proudly showing. Leshawna smiled back, “That’s Nice.” She gently pushed her hands away, “But We better get back to the Team.”

Lindsay frowned, “Oh, Yeah…” 

Leshawna wrapped her arm around her, “C’mon, You two can Hang later, Right?” 

Lindsay looked back at Tyler and smiled, “Maybe~” 

Tyler smiled as he watched the two walk away, before falling blissfully into the sand. 

* * *

  
  


Lindsay and Leshawna walked back into the sport enclosure, taking their seats at the bleachers. 

Leshawna leaned over to Justin, “How’re We Doin’?”

Justin didn’t look away from his reflection as he shrugged.

Leshawna looked at him, irritated, before hearing Gwen answer, “Cody’s Killing It!”

“No?!” Leshawna looked at her, the goth far more alert than she was earlier.

“He’s Insane, Man!” Trent added.

Leshawna turned to the court to find Bridgette and Courtney chuck balls over to the Gophers. One flying for Noah, and the other for Cody. Leshawna braced herself before watching Owen catch the ball flying towards his buddy, and Cody seamlessly dodge out of the way.

Leshawna’s Jaw dropped.

**-Bass: 1-**

**-Gophers: 5-**

As Bridgette made her way to the bleachers, Leshawna rubbed her eyes, certain she wasn’t seeing things correctly. Certainly she isn’t watching Noah, a lazy nerd who’s done nothing useful since her meeting him, retrieve the ball that missed Cody, only to under throw it to him; and she was definitely not seeing Cody, the little geek she’s been watching since he strutted onto the dock, catch the ball with ease as he, Owen, Heather and Beth readied themselves to pelt the final Bass with their balls. 

This CAN’T be Right.

The team glanced back at Noah, who was looking at Courtney's rage filled expression with an emotionless one; that is until a proud smirk trickled onto his lips as he gestured for his team to fire. 

**-Bass: 1-**

**-Gophers: 5-**

The Gophers cheered in celebration. Leshawna rushed over to her friend, pulling him into a tight hug, “Way To Go, Shorty! We Won One!” 

“Two, Actually.” Heather corrected her, proudly, “Turns Out the Nerd Patrol isn’t Half Bad.” 

“I TOLD YOU!” Cody beamed, before turning excitedly to Gwen, “GWEN! Did You SEE Me!!” he started acting out what he did, “I Was Like, _‘WOOSH’_ , and _‘SWOOSH’_ , And And, _‘WAYOW’_ !” 

Gwen smiled at him, “Yeah, you did Great.” She offered a small high-five, which Cody accepted enthusiastically. 

===

“UHG!” Courtney groaned “What is UP GUYS!” she scolded.

“Pfft- Ask Blondie, over here-” Duncan jutted a thumb at Bridgette, getting a scoff in return.

“BRO!” Geoff smacked the Punks shoulder, “Not Cool, Man! She Did Her Best!”

“Maybe if You _LISTENED_ To Me-” Bridgette stuck her face into Duncans, “We Wouldn’t _HAVE_ This Problem!”

“Guys!” DJ shouted over them, “Fighting isn’t Gonna Solve Anything-”

They continued to Fight.

“Let’s Get One Thing, Straight, Sweet Cheeks, _YOU_ Are _NOT_ The Boss of Me!”

“AHCK! You’re _INSUFFERABLE_ ! Never in My Life Have I _EVER_ Met Such a _DI-”_

“Wait?” Sadie’s voice made everyone jump. 

They all looked towards her, to find the best friends now awake, “What’s Wrong, Sadie-Bug?” Katie yawned.

Sadie looked at her, “How are we, like, Losing? I Thought for SURE Eva would, like, _Totes_ Kill This!” 

Katie nodded, “OhMyGosh, Me Too! She’s _SO_ Sporty!? This is So Crazy!”

“Well,” Courtney spoke up, hesitantly, “Eva hasn’t Played-”

 _“WHAT!”_ The two gawked.

“But, Like, Why!?” Katie pondered.

“She Should TOTES be Playing!” Sadie exclaimed.

“Totes.” Bridgette crossed her arms and smirked at the Delinquent, who didn’t seem as pleased with the duo’s input.

* * *

“Welcome back,” Noah reached a hand to Lindsay to shake, to which she obliged, smiling. That smile switched to a look of confusion, as Noah took a criss-crossed seat on the bleachers, “Have fun next round.” 

Heather slid her glasses down, “I Don’t think That’s a Good Idea.” She inspected her nails, “She was Off With the Enemy…” She turned to the others, “We Can’t _Trust_ Her.”

Lindsay gasped, as the others shared questioning murmurs.

“Hold on a Second!” Leshawna stood up, “It’s Not Like that Guys!” everyone turned to her, interested, “Yeah, sure, The Girl _LEFT_ with that Bass Kid, BUT-” she turned to Heather, “But they Weren’t _HANGIN_ ’ Together! Right Lindsay?”

“Wha-” Lindsay looked at Leshawnas pleading face, confused, before something clicked, “OH!” She turned excitedly towards Heather, “Oh, TOTALLY! I Was Definitely by Myself! Obvs!” 

Heather sighed, “Even _If_ That’s True,” she pushed her glasses back up, “We’ve won Two Games with Noah, why Would we swap Him out.”

Leshawna nodded, “That’s a Good Point String Bean,” she looked down at Noah where he sat, “Why Should we Sit You Out?”

“Simple,” Noah shrugged, “I Masterminded a Foolproof Strategy that even _You_ Dunderheads Couldn’t Blow. All You have to Do is Fill in Black and Blue over here on what to Do,” Noah jutted a thumb towards Lindsay, who held a hand to her bruises self-consciously, “Plus with Me Out and Her in, That’s One more person actually Throwing balls. Statistically speaking, It’s the Best Choice.” He rested his elbows on the bleacher seat behind him as he leant back to recline; a smirk finding its way on his rectangled face, “It’s Simple. Kinda like You Guys.” 

Leshawna and Heather glanced at each other

* * *

* * *

“O-o-oh!” Leshawna shook her head, enraged, “That Boy is LUCKY We on the Same Team!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

“AHG!” Heather groaned, “That Little Dweeb is _SO_ LUCKY That I’m Trying to Be Nice!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Noah looked into the Confessional camera, disinterested, before shrugging.

* * *

* * *

Sadie yawned, “I, Like, Don’t Get It,” She looked to Courtney, “Eva’s, Like, Totes our Best Player!”

“You Think?” Bridgette asked, sitting next to the best friends, though her eyes were on the rest of the team.

Sadie turned to her, “Definitely! It Just, Like, Makes Sense, Ya Know!”

“Ohmygosh, Sadie-Bug!” Katie gawked, “You’re, Like, SO Smart!”

“Ohmygosh, I Know!”

Duncan was clearly miffed, as he opened his mouth to speak, “Whatever, I Thi-”

“I Think,” Bridgette stood up, placing her hands proudly onto her hips, “That Eva Should Take Over From Here.”

“What?” Duncan gawked, “No Way Is Jock-Strap Gonna Tell _ME_ What To Do!” 

Eva looked at him, “Funny how You Think You’d Make the Team.”

“Ex _cuse Me?”_

“You Were The First Out these last Few Rounds.”

“Bu-”

“Let’s Have a Vote!” Bridgette smiled, “All in Favor of Eva Leading the Team?” Bridgette rose her hand high, followed by Sadie and Katie. Harold thought it over, before nodding and joining the vote. 

Courtney looked between the two groups, nervous, before raising her hand. Bridgette smiled at her.

* * *

* * *

“It’s Only Logical.” Courtney said matter-of-factly.

* * *

* * *

Bridgette turned to Duncan, smirking, “That’s 5, _Babe._ ” she crossed her arms, “Looks like You’re Out.”

Duncan gawked, taken aback, as the rest of the team turned to Eva with anticipation.

Eva looked them over before standing with her arms cross, “Alright. Playtime's Over.” Everyone exchanged looks as she scanned her peers, pointing at Harold, “Four-Ey-- I Mean… Harold, Right?” he nodded, “You’re in, along with DJ.” 

Duncan rolled his eyes, “Puh-LEASE! Just ‘cause their Nerds Killed it, doesn’t mean Dweebasaurous will do Anything!” 

“Shut-Up.” Eva glanced at Duncan before, explaining, “I Can Tell by How their Muscles sit on their bodies, that They Do Dance. That Means They're Nimble. That Means They Dodge.” She turned to Duncan, “That Means They’re on the Team.”

The rest of them exchanged questioning glances, as she continued, “Party Boy!” She turned to Geoff, who jumped to attention, “You’ve got good team instinct.”

He smiled, “Thanks, Man-”

“Your On the Team.” She stated before turning to Courtney, “You Too, Chicken Win-” she winced a little, “-Courtney….” she cleared her throat before continuing, “That is, _If_ you Can Focus.”

“OF COURSE!” Courtney exclaimed, before continuing, “Does this mean you’re not mad at Me?”

“This is a Competition.” Eva spoke firmly with her arms crossed, “We’re Here To Win. _Not_ To Make Friends.”

Courtney nodded, understanding. Eva cracked her neck, “So,” She gestured for the team to come into a huddle, “Here’s the Plan-”

===

The game was about to begin.

The Gopher’s stood at the ready, with Owen, Cody, Heather, Beth and Lindsay. The Bass watched them carefully, especially their new leader Eva, who remained ever unreadable. 

The teens fingers tingled with anticipation as they awaited the starting whistle.

This was it.

Whoever wins this, wins the challenge.

They escape elimination.

And whoever doesn’t…

Well, they don’t call it ‘The Dock of Shame’ for nothing...

The whistles high twee sent the teens into a sprint, Eva, Geoff and Courtney each snatching up two balls at the line. Beth and Eva had reached for the same ball, causing the Jock to snarl at the farm girl, making her fall back in fear.

Once the Bass had monopolized the balls, and given the excess to empty handed teammates, they prepared to throw. Eva looked to her teammates before giving an affirming nod, balls flying through the air with the destination of a certain brown headed geek. 

Cody fell to the ground quickly, narrowly avoiding the lowest ball. The Gophers cheered! 

Except Justin, who still could care less. 

And Noah, who has officially fallen asleep.

Cody smiled bright at the attention.

* * *

* * *

“I Told Everyone I’d Be Good at This!” Cody beamed, “I Gotta Lot of practice Dodging Spit-Balls in Math Class!” He explained with a cocky aura.

* * *

* * *

The Gophers each ran for a discarded ball, “Aim for the Dweeb.” Heather instructed before the team turned to obey.

5 balls raced through the Air, leading Harold to delicately but quickly spin out of the way.

The Boy’s Got Moves.

Shock echoed through the enclosure.

“Shya!” Geoff offered a high-five to the boy, “Nice one, Man!” 

Harold accepted the high-five, before the Bass got ready to take their shot. Just then, Tyler walked into the Sport’s Cage, giving a cool nod at Lindsay, accompanied with a smile. Lindsay couldn’t help but giggle, as she gave a small wave, and while all this was happening Eva nodded towards the blonde, effectively signaling her team. 

Impact was imminent. It was unavoidable, but maybe Lindsay could be spared. These were surely the thoughts that ran through Beth’s head as she pushed her friend aside, getting pelted in the process.

“BETH!” Lindsay cried.

**-Bass:5-**

**-Gophers: 4-**

Beth's body lay limp on the court, as Lindsay fell by her side, “OhMyGosh, Beth! Are you Ok?”

The small girl gave out an equally small cough, “I’ll be Alright Linds… You Gotta Keep Going… For the Team…” Beth punctuated her thought with another cough, as a tear streamed down Lindsay’s face.

She nodded, “I Wil- OW!” Lindsay rubbed her arm, before looking up at Eva, who had just thrown the long forgotten Sixth ball at the blonde.

**-Bass: 5-**

**-Gophers: 3-**

Beth sat up, “No Fair!” She cried, “We Were Having a _Moment!”_

“That’s Cold, Bro...” Geoff added.

Eva crossed her arms, “Oh Boo-Hoo, Take Your Theatrics to the Bleachers, With the rest of _Crying Rodents._ ”

“Uh,” Lindsay turned to Beth as they made their way off the court, “I thought our Team was the _Screaming Gophers_...”

* * *

* * *

“Oh Wow,” Eva spoke sternly, but that’s nothing new, “It Thinks. Who Knew.”

* * *

* * *

The Gophers each took a ball, and readied their shot, but the three lacked direction. As Cody rubbed his ball on his shirt, charging it with static, Heather called out, “Big Guy, 2 A’Clock!” 

Owen and Heather threw their balls at DJ who Pirouettes out of the way. Heather growls, but Owen let out an impressed “Wow-” . Cody’s ball, on the other hand, was aimed at Courtney. The CIT Dodged seamlessly out of the way, but alas, the ball seemed laser-focused on the girl, and followed her every movement. She successfully evaded it a few times, but in the end science won. 

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 3-**

The Gophers once again cheered, causing Cody to once again share a proud smile; Sadly, this distraction opened him for attack. The balls buzzed through the air, but Cody _DID_ successfully avoid getting Hit!

By a Ball!

Not By the Ground Though!

Well, Technically, He Hit the Ground, not the Other way Around.

So Who’s The REAL Victim Here?

Probably Cody since he’s Unconscious.

The team swarmed the geek, before being yelled at by Leshawna to, “Give Him Some SPACE!”. He wasn’t out for too long, and when he woke up, Leshawna and Trent were by his sides.

“Hey, man, You Good?” Trent asked.

Cody nodded, “Yeah, Doob, I’m Good!”

The two friends frowned, as Gwen watched him carefully, “You Just Said Doob.”

“What?”

“Shorty,” Leshawna started, leading Cody to the bleachers, “I Think we Oughta Swap you Out, hun.”

“What! No Way! I’m Totally Fun!” He protested.

“You Mean Fine?”

“.... What’d I Say?”

Leshawna turned to the team, “Ok So, Cody’s Out.”

“But He’s Our Best Player.” Heather remarked.

“Not With his Brain all Shookified!” Leshawna retorted.

“Leshawna! I Can Play! I’m Already Feeling better!” He Pleaded.

“See! He’s _Already_ Better!” Heather grabbed Cody’s arm and pulled him over to her side.

“Oh, Nuh-Uh, We Are _NOT_ Playing this Game,” Leshawna grabbed his other arm and pulled him over to her, “I Said I Could Play Earlier, Too! Saying it Don’t Mean Nothin’!”

Heather yanked Cody back, “You’re Not His _MO M_ _!_ If He Wants to Play, Let Him!”

Leshawna tugged him back, “I Didn’t Say I Was His Mom! I’m Just Sayin’ He’s Hurt!”

“And I’m Just saying You JUST Met Him!” Heather jerked Cody back to herself, “You Don’t Know This Kid! I Bet You Thought He Was Gonna Blow The Challenge Like Everyone Else, Right?”

Leshawana’s grip loosened, “Well, I-”

Cody frowned up at her, “That’s not True, Right Leshawna?”

Heather smirked for a second, before quickly covering it. She guided Cody gently in front of her, Leshawna’s hand falling off his arm, “Are You Telling me After _ALL_ of he’s Done, You _Still_ Don’t Have _Faith in him?_ ”

Leshawna’s eyes went wide, “Woah Hold on! I Didn’t Say That-”

“So You Trust Me!?” Cody asked, excitedly.

Leshawna looked between the two, “I Mean, I-I…” She sighed, placing a hand on Cody’s shoulder, “Of Course I Trust You, Shorty.. If You Think You can Do It…… You Can!” She smiled, somewhat forced. 

Cody cheered, before running back onto the court, Heather turned to join him, but was stopped by Leshawna. Her captor spoke seriously, locking her eyes onto Heather, “If I Was Right, and That Boy Comes out Of This Dumb Game Hurt _Worse_ ,” Her grip on Heather's arm tightened, “ _I’ll String You Up the Flagpole, by Your Own Hair, Understand?_ ” 

Heather looked Leshawna up and down, searching for a bluff.

The Thing Was, Leshawna Rarely Bluffed.

Heather buried her fear with a sweet smile, “Def!” and with that she walked away, Leshawna’s glare focused on her the entire time.

Chris Turned to the Camera, “Ooo! Things are Heating Up!”

Heather nods at Eva, to which her team comprehends the order. Owen throws two balls, while Heather chucks one, all three wiz past Eva’s head as she ducks out of the way. Cody also tried to Hit Eva.

Cody Did Not Hit Eva.

Cody, pushing past the fact that he saw three whole Eva’s, soldiered on and threw his ball.

At Harold. 

Luckily, Harold didn’t notice! 

Unluckily, Geoff did. 

The party boy jumped into action, catching the Concussed Boy’s Ball with ease. 

**-Bass: 4-**

**-Gophers: 2-**

“Aw, What!” Cody frowned, before making his way to his friends. He plopped down on the bleachers, sadly.

“Great Hustle out There, Kid” Leshawna offered a fist bump, to which Cody accepted, lighting up at the offer.

“Thanks, Leshawna.”

“Yeah, Dude, You were Almost Kinda Cool.” Gwen smirked, “Almost.”

Cody closed his eyes with a content smile, “I’ll Take That.”

Without their star player, the Gophers didn’t last long. Soon after the Geeks departure were the winning cheers of the Killer Bass. 

Bridgette ran up and wrapped Eva in a hug, “Dude! You Did it!” She let go and turned to Duncan smugly, “Told Ya.”

Duncan rolled his eyes, before Eva stomped her way towards him, he Gulped as he looked down at the intimidating jock, flinching as she rose her hand. He was, however, surprised to find that this was NOT an attack, but rather a hand extended for a shake. 

“I Would Like To Apologize For Throwing Your Tank Tops In The Dirt. That Was Wrong. I Hope You Can Forgive Me.” She spoke somewhat robotically, almost as if she was only doing this because she had to. Which was true.

Duncan rolled his eyes again, before seeing his two friends nod encouragingly. He sighed, “Yeah, Whatever.” he shook her hand, “I Guess You Play Good, or Something.”

“Thank You.”

“Yup.”

The two stared at each other for just long enough for it to be awkward, and then went on their way, hopefully leaving this rivalry behind them.

But Probably Not.

===

“This Can NOT Be Happening…” Heather rubbed her temples.

Owen shook Noah out of his slumber, before sadly explaining, “We Lost…”

“Wha-” Noah took a minute to get his bearings before turning to the rest of the team, “Wow. You Guys are Dumber Than I Thought.”

His teammates scoffed, before turning their attention to a speaking Justin, who was shining smiles at his reflection, “It’s like My Mom Always Says,” he decided to flex a little, attention still on the reflective walls of the Sports Enclosure, “You Can’t Help Stupid.” 

Leshawna looked the boy up and down, before saying “Ain’t That the Truth.”

The team began to leave, disgruntled. On her way out Gwen leaned a little to Trent, as the two stared at Justin in a mix of disgust and disbelief, “It’s Always the Pretty ones.”

Trent chortled at the remark, as he opened the door for his leaving teammates, quickly following after them. 

Justin turned away from his reflection, “So, What’s Ne-” he looked around the empty room, “Guys?”

* * *

Heather soaked in the Gophers Hot Tub, attempting to release the stress that the day had brought. Lindsay's sudden voice did not help.

“Hi, Heather!” She smiled.

“What is It.” Heather spoke coldly to the other girl, keeping her eyes shut.

“Oh, well….” Lindsay played with her hair, before gathering her nerves and continuing, “When Me and T-” she bit her tongue, “- and Lailana!”

“Leshawna.” Heather corrected.

“YEAH! That’s Who I was With!”

“Lindsay. What’s Your Point.” Heather turned to look at the girl, who held out a little shell. “What’s This?” she took it, gently inspecting it in her hand.

“A Gift!” Lindsay explained, “I Found it on the beach! It’s a Cute little Shell!”

Heather smiled, “Thank You. I appreciate the Sign of Loyalty,” Lindsay nodded, before she handed the shell back, “Put this on my Night stand please.” 

“You mean, Our Nightstand?” Lindsay asked.

“Yeah, Sure.” 

“Ok! Just checking!” She looked at the stone she held in her other hand, “I’ll put My Gift there, too!” 

Heather perked up, “Hm? Gift?” Lindsay turned to her, “Did _Leshawna_ Give this to you?”

Lindsay fidgeted, running her fingers through her hair, “M-maybe…”

Heather held her hand out, “Let Me See.”

She obliged, placing the stone in Heather palm, “It’s Sand-Dollar..!” she explained.

Heather inspected the gift, “Lindsay.” She turned to her, “This is a Rock.” she then tossed the rock towards the woods, causing Lindsay to gasp, “It’s Basically Trash.” 

“But-”

“No Buts,” Heather leaned her head back against the tub, “You’re not Bringing Trash into The Cabin. And You’re _Especially_ Not Putting It On My Night-Stand.”

Lindsay stared at where the rock had been tossed, her eye’s welling up, “R-right…” she sniffled before running into the cabin, passed Beth, who had watched from the window..

Beth approached Heather, “Why Did You Do That?”

“Do What?”

“Make Her Cry like That…”

Heather looked up at her, “I Didn’t _Make_ her do Anything. She Chose to Cry over Trash. That’s Not My Fault.”

“Maybe…” Beth pondered, as she did she looked towards where said trash was discarded… 

* * *

Night fell quickly after the Gophers second Humiliating defeat in a Row.

Chris approached the bonfire with a tray of treats, “Campers. You have already cast Your Votes and made your decision. One of You will Be Going Home. And You Can’t Come Back. Ever.” 

He looked over the teens as he continued to explain, “When you Hear me Call out Your Name, Come pick Up a Marshmallow.”

“Cody.”

The geek jumped up with joy, an energy that contrasted nicely with the bandage around his head. His friends cheered for him as he walked carefully up to Chris.

“Owen.”

The fun-loving athlete let out a cheer before, joining Cody at the podium.

“Beth.”

Lindsay and Beth grabbed each other's hands in celebration, before the Brunette went to take her Prize.

“Heather.”

On Lindsay’s other Side, Heather rose, and walked proudly over to claim her treat, ignoring Lindsay’s smile.

“Leshawna.”

The girl held out two hands on either side of herself, gaining a high five from both Trent and Gwen, before joining Cody and the others.

“Trent.”

The Bi’s exchanged finger guns, before Trent got up and left Gwen as the final of his friends on a stump.

“Gwen.”

Well, that Was Quick. Gwen made her way up to the other three, giving them a smile that was slowly becoming less rare.

Then There Were Three.

Chris looked them over, “Honestly, All three of you Messed up Big Time Today.” He looked towards Lindsay, “Messing around with the Enemy, Not a Good Look.” Lindsay looked away, ashamed, biting her lip. “And You,” he Turned to Justin, “Can’t say You Really did _anything_ Wrong.” Justin smiled proudly. “‘Cause You Didn’t _Do_ Anything.” Justin’s smile immediately fell, “As for Mr.Gamer Nerd over here,” His eyes fell onto Noah, “Insulting Your Team after AND Before Bailing on them? Not Cool, Dude.” Noah shrugged, as Chris held up a Marshmallow, “But, You did Come Up with a _Pretty_ Good Strat Today, Which I Guess Your Team Liked. Even Though is Ultimately Failed.” Chris smiled, “Noah, Come up and Get Your Marshmallow.” 

The nerd obliged, taking a spot next to Owen, excepting the larger boys High-Five.

Lindsay and Justin.

The Choice seems Obvious, but is It?

Heather has proven her manipulation Skills, and Lindsay has broke the 

Alliance Rules.

But She _Did_ give her a Gift.

The Question is, Does Heather Care?

Justin did nothing to help.

But He Did Nothing To Hurt Either, Did He?

_Did He?_

Was he Truly a Neutral Party, or had his Team Blamed him For their Loss.

What is Worse, A Perceived Traitor or Or an Inactive, Yet Attractive Lump on a Log.

Both Campers could ultimately be seen as Parasites, one More Benign than the Other.

But Were They Seen as Parasites?

Or Just Two Dumb and Pretty People Out Of Luck?

Who Was Prettier?

Did It Matter?

Justin Thought So.

Justin Also Thought He Was The Prettiest.

But That’s Not Relevant.

What Was Relevant was The Name that Escaped Chris’ Lips.

“Lindsay.”

The Blonde squealed, as she ran up, hugging Beth and Heather, “Thank You! Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!!” 

She held her marshmallow close as Justin gawked, “But… But Why?”

“Seriously?” Heather quirked a brow, “Try and Think.”

“Careful.” Gwen quipped, “You Might Hurt Yourself.”

Noah stifled a chuckle, as Justin stood from his stump, being led to the boat by Chef, “B-But I’m PRETTY!” 

The team ignored him as they began roasting their treats.

Chris turned to the camera, “I Guess you Can’t get through Life on Looks alone.” He sniffled as he wiped away a tear, “It’s Real tragic.”

Oh Wow He’s Actually Crying, Ok…. 

Let’s… 

Let’s Go To Another Scene… 

Yeah… 

Yeah that’s Good….

* * *

  
  


Lindsay lay in her bunk below Heather's, as she sadly traced little circles in her sheets. This melancholy was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. 

Lindsay looked up to see Beth smiling down at her, before gesturing for Lindsay to not say anything. The blonde cocked her head to the side, curious as Beth opened up her other hand, unveiling a surprise. Lindsay held back a squee, as she reached over and pulled Beth into a hug. She then excitedly took her ‘Sand-Dollar’ and held it close to her chest. 

Beth made her way to her own bed, “Good Night, Lindth-” She whispered.

“Night!” Lindsay whispered back, before laying her gift on the pillow next to her, smiling softly.

* * *


	5. Up the Creek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Teens are sent to the Mysterious and Dangerous Boney Island to race one another on it's perilous trails.

Three days have passed since “The Pretty Boy” was sent down the Dock of Shame, and now a new challenge lay before the 19 remaining campers. By the end of the day, another teen shall follow in the steps of Justin.

What an Honor.

The teens stood clustered on the grass just before the beach of Wawanakwa, as Chris explained the day's challenge. “Bass! Gophers! Today's Challenge is a true Summer Camp Experience: A Canoe Trip.” Chris gestured towards the shore line, revealing 5 red Canoes and 4 Green ones, all of which were covered with a disconcerting amount of duct-tape. “You’ll be Paddling your Boats across the Lake to,” Chris turned to the teens, waggling his fingers as he spoke in his best eerie tone, “BOoOOOoooOOONeY IIIiiSLaAaaaAaaAnd,” He gestured to the map at his side as he continued his explanation, “When you get there, You must Portage your Canoes to the other side of the Island. Which is about a Two hour hike through Dense, Treacherous Jungle!”

Geoff stared at the map, as he rubbed his neck, confused “We gotta Pour _What_?”

DJ stared at his friend's stupidity in disbelief, as Courtney facepalmed at the comment.

“ _Portage.”_ Chris repeated, speaking slower and more precise. This did not help the Party boy, as he continued to stare blankly at the host. “Dude, Walk with Your Canoe.”

A small smile found its way on Geoff's face as he nodded, “Oh…”

Chris shot him a finger gun and a wink, before continuing, “When you arrive on the Other end of The Island, you’ll build a Rescue Fire, which will be judged by Me. The first team to Paddle home and Return their Canoes to the Beach is the Winner of Invincibility.” Chris paused, before jutting his thumb back towards the boats, “ MOVE, CAMPERS, MOVE!”

Chris smiled, before he recalled a teeny tiny, unimportant detail, “Oh Wait! One more thing I Should Mention! Legend has It, if You Take ANYTHING Off the Island, You’ll Be Cursed, FooOOOrrRREeeVVeeRR!!!”

Thunder crashed around the teens, as they searched paranoid for a source; except Owen, who let out an excited giggle, “Y-YEAH! A Cursed Island?!” He threw his arms in the air, with a large smile, “WOO!”

His peers did not share his excitement, all of them staring at him in confusion and concern. Owen looked among them, before putting his arms down, and looking to the ground. 

Chris took this in stride, “”Now!” He pointed towards the shore, “Get in your Canoes and let’s have some Fun!”

The campers turned to make their way to the boats, as Owen cheered once more, “YEAH! FUN!” 

Chris smiled at the herd of teens, before his attention was stolen by the sound of flushing toilets. He turned to the sound, and was met by Harold running over to him, distressed, “What’d I Miss??”

The Host stared at him, before pointing at the boats, “Canoes.”

Harold quickly followed his point, and reunited with his team.

* * *

Cody hopped down the stairs with Leshawna close by, “How's your Head feelin’, Shorty?” she asked.

He smiled up at her, “Oh! Way Better! When I look at people, I Only see One Person!”

“Uh-Well, That’s Good…”

“Yeah!” he agreed before pulling Leshawna to the side, “Leshawna!” he whispered excitedly, “Today, I’m Gonna Make my Move!”

Leshawna stared at him, confused for a moment, before she recalled what brought their little group together, “Aw, man, You ain’t Still tryin’ to Get with Gwen, are ya’?”

Cody nodded, “I Think I Can Do It!” he went to explain, “After the last Challenge, she Definitely thinks I’m Cool!” he paused, “Well… Cool-er…. Which is Progress! And Girls LOVE Cool Guys, Right?”

Leshawna quirked a brow, “I mean… I Guess?”

“I Just Gotta get her Alone, And then-” He slicked back his hair and pointed two finger guns at Leshawna, “I’ll Take my shot!” he then proceeded to pretend and fire his ‘hand guns’ at his friend, “Pew! Pew!”

Leshawna held back a laugh, as she placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “You know what?” She smiled, “I Think You Got This.”

Cody smiled back up at her before turning his attention to the Musician and the Goth at the top of the Stairs, “Hey Gwen! Be My Partner?!” he walked back towards the stairs, before tripping on his too big pants leg. Luckily, Leshawna caught him before he could smack the ground a second time. “Ha ha,” Cody chuckled nervously, “Thanks…”

  
  


* * *

* * *

Leshawna looked towards the camera, “He Don’t Got This.”

* * *

* * *

Tyler stumbled down the stairs, barely escaping a fall, before glancing over at Lindsay. The two’s eyes met, and he smiled with a wave, before tripping on his shoelace and colliding with Courtney. 

“AHK!” She turned to him, enraged, “Watch It!” She pushed him back.

“Woah, hey! Chill, Man!” Tyler protested, “I Just Tripped!”

“Sure,” Courtney began with crossed arms, “And it wasn't because of that Blonde Gopher Girl?”

“What!? No!.. Maybe! SHUT UP!” Tyler brilliantly retorted.

Courtney opened her mouth, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder, “Lay off him, Court,” Bridgette smiled, “He’s not Hurting anyone.”

“Besides Himself.” Eva added as she tossed Bridgette an oar. The Surfer fumbled with it for a moment before grasping it firmly in her hands.

“But She’s the _Enemy.”_ Courtney explained, sticking her face into Tyler’s, “If He’s not Careful She’ll Use His Information _Against Us!_ ” 

Heather glanced over at Courtney’s outburst, sunglasses glistening. 

“Oh, Right,” Eva began, “Because Blondie over there’s a _Real_ Mastermind.” 

The Bass glanced over at Lindsay, who now sat in her canoe, seemingly in conversation with her hands.

Bridgette giggled a little, “I Don’t Know Eva,” she began as she tied on her life vest, “Tyler is _Filled_ with _Precious_ Information. We should _Really_ Watch them.” 

Eva listened as she pushed their boat into the water, then glanced up at Bridgette with a quirked brow and an almost-amused-allmost-smile, “Was that Sarcasm, Tidal Wave?”

Bridgette shrugged as she stepped into the canoe, “Maybe it Was.”

“Somebody's feisty today.”

“Wait, Guys!” Courtney stopped them before they could row away, or continue their banter, “Do you think you Could take one More?”

“No.”

“Sorry, Courtney,” Bridgette began, “It looks like We’re competing with two to a Boat.” 

“Oh…” Courtney looked at the ground.

“Hey, maybe on the Way back?” Bridgette smiled.

“Okay.” Courtney gave a half-hearted smile in return as she searched for her own partner. 

Courtney glanced at Duncan, but made a face of disgust.

* * *

* * *

“There is NO Way I’m Working with That Smelly Ogre EVER Again!” Courtney explained to the camera, “He’s Insensitive, Loud, Obnoxious, and, as Mentioned Before, HE REAKS! Like, Seriously! Does he Even _BATHE?!”_

* * *

* * *

Courtney’s eyes next found Sadie and Katie, who were excitedly preparing to start the challenge.

“OMG, Sadie-Bug!” Katie began, “I’ve ALWAYS Wanted to Go Kayaking!”

Sadie giggled, “No, Kit-Kat! This Is, Like, Obvs a Canoe!”

“Oh?”

“Yeah! Like, Kayak tops are, like, Closed!” Sadie tried to show what she meant with her hands, “But, like, Canoes are _Totally_ Open!” 

Katie gasped before she hopped into the vessel, “Wow, you’re like, SO Smart!” 

“I Know, Right!”

Courtney sighed, no way was she gonna convince them to separate. Her next thought was DJ. The boy seemed nice enough, but sadly he was already prepping with Geoff.

DJ scanned the vessel carefully, before tapping it lightly with his foot, “Hey man, Do Canoes flip over a Lot?”

“Nah, Man,” Geoff smiled, “You’re thinking Kayaks.” 

DJ let out a sigh of relief.

“Unless we hit Some Rough Water.”

DJ gulped, “Water Gets… _Rough?”_

“Oh, Yeah,” Geoff nodded as he tied his life vest on, “It Can Get Totally Radical Out There!” 

Geoff continued to prepare for the trip as DJ watched on in horror. The Surfer picked up on this, and smiled at his friend, “Hey, Don’t worry, Man! I was, Like, Totally Raised on the Waves! You’ll be Safe with me.”

DJ Smiled and nodded as he carefully took his seat in the canoe.

Courtney rubbed her hands nervously together as she locked eyes with an approaching Harold. 

“He’s gross, but he’s better than No One-” Courtney mumbled before holding out her hand to greet him, “Harol-”

“Tyler,” Harold started, causing the boy behind him to point at himself, “I Figured us Athletes should Stick Together,” Harold then sniffed hard in an attempt to clear his sinuses, “It’ll make our Rowing Team Stronger and Stuff.”

“Heck Yeah!” Tyler exclaimed, before the two left a mortified Courtney to find a boat.

Taking in the four pairs of rowing teams, the implications of the math dawned on her. “Oh No.” Courtney paled at her realization, before a familiar arm wrapped around her neck.

“Guess that leaves You and Me, Chicken Wing!” Duncan smirked.

Courtney sighed, disgusted, but followed him to their boat.

===

Gwen sat in her canoe with her arms crossed, “Are you _Sure_ You don’t Want any Help?”

Cody struggled to push the boat into the water, pausing his huffing and puffing to smile cooly at her, “Nah, I” he panted, “I Got It.” He then continued not to have it.

Trent reached a hand over, and took a step forward, but Leshawna stopped him, “Kids gotta do it himself.” 

Trent looked over at him, now on his back and pushing with his feet, as Gwen sighed, her face cradled in her hands. The Musician nodded and he and his friend got into their own canoe.

* * *

The teens boats floated in the calm waters of Wawanakwa, as Chris stood proudly on the beach. He smiled at the teens as he cocked a small pistol, “On Your Marks… Get Set…” He then shot into the air, “PADDLE!!” And with that the campers her off on the first leg of the challenge. The camera turned back to focus on a smiling Chris, when a Bald Eagle plummeted out of the sky, landing dead and shot at Chris’ feet. The host gave a worried look towards the camera, “That’s Gonna Provoke Some Angry Emails…”

===

“So,” Cody opened, “Do You wanna Go Out Sometime?” 

“No.”

“What About Friday Night?”

“No.” 

“Saturday’s Good for Me!” He peaked over at her, “How About Saturday?” 

Gwen flipped around with a scowl, “I Am Not Going Out With You. Ever.” 

“Okay, Okay!” He held up his hands before he continued to paddle. He looked at the water before turning a hopeful smile back up to Gwen, “So, is Sunday Out of the Question?” In response Gwen brought up her Oar and slammed it into Cody’s arm. Cody let out a cry of pain before going, “Got it..”

* * *

* * *

“Alright,” Cody shot some finger guns to the side, “So, She isn’t Quite Ready for the Codmeister.” he then smiled at the camera, “But I Got This!” He put his hands in his lap as he excitedly elaborated, “Leshawna Said So!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

“Cody?” Gwen asked, “He’s like a Little Brother.” HEr expression grew stern, “A _Really Annoying_ _Little Brother.”_

* * *

* * *

===

As Geoff and DJ rowed up to Eva and Bridgette, the Party Boy tipped his hat to the Surfer with a charming smile, “Heya, Bridge!”

In response, Bridgette ducked into the boat, mumbling something to Eva. 

Eva glanced up at Geoff, and spoke dryly, “Sorry, She Died.” Eva then jerked with an “OOF” before glaring back down at Definitely-Not-Bridgette, “I Mean,” she began, “She Just Left. You Just Missed Her. She’s Not Dead.” She then rowed forward, angrily muttering “ _There? Is That Good?!?”_

Geoff sighed.

* * *

* * *

“Man, I Don’t Know what I’m Doin’ Wrong…” Geoff looked to the side, “I Thought she Liked me, But I Feel like she’s been Fadin’ on me…” He looked back at the camera, with a lopsided grin “Nah! It’s All Good!”

* * *

* * *

DJ scratched his head, “Well, that was Weird…”

“Can I ask You Somthin’, Dude?” Geoff asked, and DJ waited for him to continue, “I Gave Bridgette an Awesome Gift This Morning, But She’s Been Sending me Some Weird Vibes...”

====

“Oh My Gosh, Eva, It was _SO_ Bad!” Bridgette explained as she repositioned herself back into her seat, “I Come Back from Brushing my Teeth, and I Notice Something _Bulging_ Under My Covers- And When I Lifted Them, _THERE IT Was!_ ” She exclaimed, growing more and more distressed, “A Pink _Heart_ Ceramic, With _Macaroni Noodles_ Around it-”

“No.” Eva interjected in disbelief, though it was hard to distinguish from her normal tone.

“It Gets WORSE!” Bridgette continued, “On the Inside, it had a Drawing of _Me!”_

“Disgusting.” Eva commented, “Tell Me More.”

===

Geoff smiled as he continued to explain the gift to his friend, “I Made it in Arts and Crafts.”

“No You Didn’t-” DJ shook his head in disbelief.

“I Did!” Geoff nodded proudly.

===

“And That’s Not Even The Worst Part!” She exclaimed.

“I Don’t Believe You.”

“-Etched into the Back was an Inscription that Said-”

===

“ ‘I Hope You Think Of Me Whenever You Drop Loose Change Into This~’ ” Geoff quoted poetically.

DJ let out a sound that was a mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

===

Bridgette punctuated her tale by pretending to choke, which was accompanied by Eva making a gagging sound.

===

Geoff looked up to his friend, “No Good?”

“Man, That’s _So_ Bad, You Need a New _Word_ For How Bad that Is!” 

Geoff hung his head in shame.

DJ continued, “See, dating is like Feeding a Bunny,” he explained “You want the Bunny to Come to You, so You Don’t make any Sudden Moves-” He acted as if he were calling a rabbit over, “Here, Bunny Bunny Bunny~” 

Geoff nodded as he listened.

“You Drop a Handmade-Heart-Shaped-Clay-Bowl on a Bunny, The Bunny’s Gonna Run, Man.” he continued to row, “Ya Feelin’ me?

Geoff looked towards the water in thought, “So… I Messed Up?”

“You Messed Up.”

===

Heather sat at the back of her Canoe, behind Lindsay and Beth. The latter sat at the front, while the blonde sat in between her two friends; Both the brunette and the blonde were the only ones rowing. Heather watched Lindsay carefully behind her glasses.

  
  


* * *

* * *

“Flirting with the Enemy is a Big Red Flag,” Heather explained, as she filed her nails, “But my Team is Dumb enough to Trust that Bottle Blonde.” A devious smirk pulled at her lips, “Though I’ve Heard, Sweatband Isn’t So Lucky.”

* * *

* * *

“Hey, Linds?” Heather started, her sweet tone filling the air.

“Hm?” Lindsay turned to her.

“I’ve been thinking, and I Think That, if You really like Tyler, then you should Go For It!” 

Lindsay gasped, “Wait!? For Real!?!?”

Heather nodded, “Totally!” 

“WOO!” she Cheered.

“But-”

“But?” Beth questioned.

Heather spoke firmly, “ _But-”_ her tone softened as she returned her attention to Lindsay, “It should really be kept a Secret! No Talking about it, M’Kay?” she brought a finger to her lips, “Especially not with The Other Bass! They’ll TOTALLY Get Mad at Him!”

“Oh No!” Lindsay frowned, “I Don’t want him to get in Trouble!” 

“Right?” Heather nodded, “So, just Like, Pull him Aside and take it from there!”

Lindsay smiled at her, “Thanks, Hannah, You’re a Great Friend”

“I Know.” She smiled back, “And it’s _Heather.”_

===

Cody looked down at the water, before back at Gwen, smiling, “Hey, Gwen!”

Gwen let out a long and deep sigh, she looked and sounded drained when she replied, “Yeah?”

“Did you Know that Impressionism is all About Capturing Beautiful Moments?” His ego could be heard through his voice.

He was Very Proud of What He Was Saying.

It Was Disgusting.

“I Mean, I Guess that’s True,” She thought, “ It’s mainly about creating images based on Light and Color instead of shapes, but….. It Can Be About That Too….I guess...”

Cody continued, unbothered by this explanation, “I Think any Moment with you Could be an Impressionist painting!” he winked.

There was a beat of silence before she glanced back at him, “What?”

Cody’s cool aura shattered around him as he fumbled to explain, “I…. Any Moment- Cause like, You make Things Beautiful? You’re Beautiful! So, if Impressionism, is Like-”

Gwen turned away with a sigh and a scowl, “I Got It.”

“Cool…!”

Cody looked around before opening his mouth again, “So, would you Like to-”

“No.”

* * *

* * *

Gwen groaned, “That was The LONGEST Hour and a Half I have ever had to Suffer through.”

* * *

* * *

  
  


* * *

* * *

Cody smiled, “I Think I’m Winning her Over!”

* * *

* * *

As he tried to brainstorm another Knock-Out of a pick-up line he took in the shifting scenery , taken aback by the appearance of jagged rocks and growing fog.

“Uh, hey- Gwen-?” 

Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes, “Not Now, Cody.”

“But Gwen-!” He protested.

She growled, exasperated, “I Said _Not_ NOW-” She flipped around to face him, in the process observing the environment, she quieted down as she continued, “Uh- Hey, Cody? Do You Notice the fog?”

Cody gulped, nodding, ”That wasn't here Before, Right?” 

Gwen shook her head, as the two looked up to the upcoming Island. 

Boney Island was surrounded by looming and jagged rocks. The shore itself looked rocky. The only signs of life was that of the dark and dense jungle, just passed the giant skull like rock formation, that the children assume aided in the island's name. 

The teens spines shivered at the sight of it.

This is Gonna be Fun.

* * *

The canoes docked against the coarse sand of the beach, as the wind whistled eerily through the caves of the skull like mountain.

“Cool,” Harold stared at the creepy rock formation, “It’s like This place is Haunted or Something-”

His team looked at him oddly, as Leshawna stood from her boat “Okay, Gophers! Stay Close!” She lifted her canoe along with Trent; glancing at a nearby rustling bush, she elaborated, “I Don’t Trust it Here…” 

The other Gophers followed suit, except for one lazy rectangle. 

“Hey, Owen,” Noah looked up at his partner as the larger boy picked up his boat.

Owen smiled down at his friend, curious to what he wanted. 

“I’m Gonna Need You to Carry Me.”

Owen stared at him confused, “Why?”

“I Can’t Run.” Noah explained, “Remember Last Time? I Passed Out. I Could Die.”

Owen gasped, as Gwen rolled her eyes, she and Cody walking passed the two, “You were faking.”

Noah brought his hand to his chest as if he were offended, but his voice and face stayed ever unemotive, “I Would Never.”

Gwen scoffed, “You Woke Up _Immediately_ after Hearing we Won.”

“It Was a Miracle.”

Owen stared up at the sky in wonder, “Wow-”

“ _Whatever.”_ Gwen rolled her eyes as she and Cody joined Leshawna and Trent at the edge of the jungle.

“I Don’t Care WHAT You Do, String Bean,” Leshawna called, “As Long as You get that Sweater Vest _MOVIN_ ’”

Noah wasn’t given a chance to answer, before being thrown over Owens shoulder; the larger boy then lifted their canoe, carrying it on his other shoulder.

===

As Courtney and Duncan hefted up their canoe, she instructed her team, “Alright, Gang, I’m Going to Need You All To Pay _Close_ Attention!” She gestured to herself, eyes closed and voice proud, “I’m a Trained C.I.T. Which Means I’m The _Perfect_ Fit To Lead us Through this _Portage-_ ”

“STOP YAPPIN’ AND START WALKIN’!” 

Courtney was interrupted by Eva’s Command, looking forward to find her team had already started their way through the jungle, “HEY! WAIT! GUYS-!”

“Sorry, Court!” Bridgette called back, “But the Gophers are Already Ahead!” 

Courtney huffed, but her annoyance quickly transferred to Duncan, as the punk pushed her with his boot, “Let’s GO, Princess-”

“Hey! Watch It!” Courtney nudged back at him with her elbow as she began to lead him forward.

* * *

The teens walked briskly upon the rugged path, surrounded by what they hoped were simply prop skulls on pikes.

Hopefully…

As they moved, Trent tapped the canoe above his head, muttering nervously, “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9; 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9; 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-”

“Boy, if You Don’t Stop Your Fidgetin’ I’m Cutting Your Fingers Off !” Leshawna looked over her shoulder with a glare, leading Trent to gulp.

There was a moment of relative quiet, as Trent bit his lip before-

“8-9!” He tapped quickly, but it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Boy! What Did I JUST Say!?”

“I’m Sorry!” Trent cried, “I’m Done Now!”

“You Better Be or SO Help Me-!”

“Guyz!” Beth called, grabbing their attention, “Which Way?”

The Gophers stared at the fork ahead of them, Heather and Leshawna both speaking up-

“Left.” 

“Right.”

The two quickly locked eyes.

“Left, _Obviously_. It’s Going in the Direction of the Lake!” Heather gestured next to Lindsay and Beth, who were carrying their shared canoe.

“We Should Go _Right_ .” Leshawna walked towards her preferred path, “It’s Wider, So we Can Stay Close. It’s _Safer_.”

Gwen nodded, “If I Know _Anything_ About Horror Films, Clusters are Safer than Single File.”

“This isn’t a Dumb Slasher Flick! It’s a Dumb _Challenge_ !” Heather reasoned, “A Challenge that’s a _Race_ ! We Have to Move _QUICKLY_!” 

“Hate to Interrupt this _Riveting_ Debate, but-” the others turned to a speaking Noah, who was currently draped comfortably on his partner’s shoulder with a view of the path behind them, “The Bass Are Catching Up.”

The Gophers gasped at the quickly approaching enemy.

“We Need To Go _LEFT_!” Heather didn’t wait for a response as she led her partners down her desired path, followed by Owen and Noah.

Leshawna sighed as she moved to follow, along with Gwen and Cody.

===

The Bass watched the Gophers file down the Left path. 

“Let’s Go Right!” Bridgette suggested, “It’s Less Crowded-” her and Eva already started heading that direction.

“Brilliant Idea, Bridgette!” Courtney agreed.

“Rock On, Bridge! You’re Like, Super Smart” Geoff seconded as DJ made a pained face behind him.

“Somebody’s popular.” Eva mumbled.

“ _Shut Up!”_ Bridgette whispered as she kicked at Eva’s heels, causing the other girl to snicker in response. 

* * *

* * *

“No.” Eva had her arms crossed, “I’m Not Her Friend. I Just Don’t See a Reason To Let Myself Be Bored While I Win.” she looked away, “That’s All.”

* * *

* * *

===

The Gophers shuffled quickly down the path, keeping fearful eyes toward the jungle brush. 

There was a commotion nearby that made Cody gulp.

“Did you Hear that?” His voice was shaky.

“It’s probably just an animal.” Leshawna explained, but her uncertainty was clear in her voice.

“W-what Kind of A-animal-?” Cody looked around distressed.

“It Could be a Jungle Monster.” Gwen proposed, glancing to the lush yet dark jungle beside her.

Cody gulped, “W-what Kind of Monster-?!?”

The teens stopped, eyeing the movement cautiously. Owen listened closely before smiling, “Don’t Worry Guys! It’s Just a Beaver!” He chuckled, “I Hear the Little Fella Chewin’ Some Wood!”

Everyone sighed relieved, before a giant tree fell in their path, almost crushing Heather. The group shrieked, but before they could gain any bearings a family of large beavers emerged. They were as tall as a grizzly and twice as wide, and had gnarly tusks and soulless eyes. 

The teens screamed as Cody Called out, “MONSTER BEAVERS!!!!!!”

* * *

* * *

Chris sat in the confessional, smiling at the camera. He spoke with a documentary-esque voice, “A Remnant of the Pleistocene Era,” he gestured as he continued, “The Wooly Beaver is a Day Active Rodent, Indigenous to Boney Island.” His smile turned into a mischievous smirk as he winked, his voice going back to it’s normal sound, “Oh Yeah, and They’re Meat Eaters!”

* * *

* * *

The Screaming Gophers lived up to their name as the cried out in fear and for help. Their feet beat against the ground just as their hearts beated against their chests. They were ahead of the beavers, but they were gaining on them, clearly endurance predators. They were only a few more feet away from being within attacking range of Cody and Gwen, when the team found themselves in shallow water.

And Also Against a Cliff Wall.

“DEAD END!” Owen declared. 

“It’s About To Be!” Noah added, as he tried to both stay up on Owen shoulders, but also hide behind his back.

The teens braced themselves for their brutal and untimely demise, but it didn’t come. 

They looked up to see the Wooly Beavers sizing them up, before walking away, disappointed. 

Trent smiled, “Hey! They’re Leaving!”

Leshawna turned to everybody “Are We All Good? No One Missin’?” Everyone muttered their affirmatives as she turned to Cody, “And You, Shorty? You Alright?” 

Cody checked himself before smiling back up at her, “Yeah, I’m F- GEESE!” 

“Wha-?” Leshawna quirked a brow before she realized what now surrounded them. 

The teens gazed in horrifying realization that they were surrounded by giant nests, and what’s worse, Giant Pterodactyl Geese!

“You Have _GOT_ To Be Kiddin’ Me!” Leshawna cried.

The team was off again hiding under their canoes from the swooping attacks from these Present-Day Prehistoric Beasts. One targeted Gwen and Cody’s canoe, almost knocking them over. The two hunkered down in fear as Gwen cried out, “SOMEBODY HELP!” 

Trent and Leshawna stopped turning to their friends in distress.

“GWEN!” Trent cried.

“CODY!” Leshawna screamed at the same time.

But in the end they were all just scared kids.

They didn’t have a Plan.

They didn’t have a way to help.

  
  


That’s when Cody got an Idea.

“Wait!” He declared, “Don’t worry Gwen! I’ll Save us!” He explained as he reached into his pants.

Gwen frowned, “We’re Gonna Die.”

But They Didn’t!

Yay!

Cody pulled out a loaf of bread, and quickly untied the bag, launching it as far as he could behind him. The wheat-y squares sprawled out against the ground, and beckoned the ferocious flock, distracting them from their previous meal plan.

Gophers.

“Cody! You did It!” Gwen Cheered as the two got up, and continued to run with their team. Her joy quickly faltered though, as she asked, “Wait-Why did You Have _Bread_ in Your _Pants??_ ” 

“Well,” Cody chuckled nervously, “I was Gonna Make us a… Romantic Picnic...?” He smiled.

Gwen looked at him, disgusted and shocked, _“WITH BREAD FROM YOUR PANTS?!?!?”_

He smiled, embarrassed, as Leshawna shook her head, before face-palming.

* * *

The Bass moved swiftly and unbothered through Boney Islands perilous trails. 

That is until a certain clumsy athlete called out to them.

“Bros!” Tyler said, panic in his voice, “I Think We Should Slow Down, Harold's breathin’ Weird!”

The Bass slowed down and looked at the dweeb, who was indeed breathing Weird. They all had worry written across their face, except for one.

“Come _On_ Guys!” Courtney complained, “We have a Race To Win!”

 _“Courtney!”_ Bridgette scolded, as she approached him, “Harold, do You Have Your Inhaler?” she asked as she helped Tyler set aside the canoe, the two dropping it by accident.

Harold nodded, as he reached into his pocket and took a huff, after 15 seconds he smiled at Bridgette and Tyler, “Thanks, Guys.”

“Bridgette,” Courtney stared, “How did You Know Harold had Asthma?” 

The surfer blinked at Courtney, confused, “He Had an Attack after we Jogged Around the Lake, Remember?”

“What!?”

“Yeah,” Harold started, bitterly, “Maybe _you_ Don’t _Recall-”_

* * *

_.~.~._

_As the others not preoccupied with a passed out friend, shared questioning glances, Courtney stood impatiently at the door. Harold stumbled in, gasping for air. Struggling to breath he leaned against the door frame, clutching his chest, though Courtney seemed unphased, “What Took You So Long?!?” as Harold leaned over and brought a second hand to his chest, Courtney crossed her arms, “We Just Lost The Challenge!”_

_Harold gasped out, “I Think I’m Having Heart Palpitations!” before falling to the ground._

_.~.~._

* * *

Harold glared at the C.I.T, “Luckily, Bridgette and Geoff came over and _Helped.”_

Courtney fidgeted nervously before speaking up, “Well- I-,” She bawled her fists up at her side, defensive, “How Was I Supposed To Know!”

“Didn’t they Cover that when You were Training to be a C.I.T ?” DJ asked genuinely.

Courtney opened her mouth, but Eva spoke first, “Who _Cares?_ We Need To Move.” She looked at Harold, “Four Eyes, Can You Walk?”

“Uh-” He looked up at her, “I Should probably Rest more-”

“Alright, Bridgette and I will Carry You on Top of Our Canoe.” She sat it down for him to climb on.

Bridgette helped him over, but then something grabbed his attention- 

“Wet Sand?” He muttered, before poking at it, and gasping in amazement, “Wow- Amazing-”

“What?” Geoff looked over.

“It’s Totally Quicksand!” He smiled excitedly, “Real Life Quicksand!”

“Woah-” Geoff gawked.

“Cool.” Eva rolled her eyes, “Now _Get on The Boat.”_

Harold nodded with a gulp, as he climbed a board.

“Hey, Uh-” Geoff spoke up as the girls hefted the canoe above their heads, “If, Uh- If You Need somebody To Help, Cause it Gets, Like, Too Heavy, I Could TOTALLY Take your Spot-” He flexed at Bridgette, who rolled her eyes and started walking forward.

“I’m Fine.” She affirmed. 

Geoff sighed as DJ patted his shoulder.

* * *

After escaping the PteraGeese, the Gophers once again checked to make sure everyone was OK. 

And By that I mean Leshawna once again checked to make sure everybody was OK.

And By THAT I Mean Leshawna once again Asked, in a sweeping statement, if everyone was Alright before checking on Cody specifically. 

From there, Trent led the group, with Leshawna helping hold the canoe behind him. Now trekking down the Right Path to avoid being eaten by Beavers, Leshawna insisted that Gwen and Cody walked beside them, so she could keep an eye on him- I mean Them. Both of Them. Not Just Cody. She Cares The Same About Both of Them. 

Moving On.

Trent and Leshwana moved forward, before Trent stumbled a little, “WOAH-”

Leshawna grabbed the boy's collar, keeping him up, before looking down at her feet, which were missing, “ _Now_ What!” 

Trent looked around himself frantically, noticing his surroundings seemingly grow, “Uh, Guys, I don’t wanna Panic Here, but- WE’RE SHRINKING!!” 

* * *

* * *

“Right.” Trent frowned at the Camera, “How am _I_ Supposed to Know What Quicksand Looks Like?!?” He threw his hands in the air “IT LOOKS LIKE SAND!!!!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Chris sat in the confessional laughing, hunkered over and wiping a tear from his face, “Did You HEAR Him???” He laughed more before throwing his hands up, “AH I’M ShRiNkInG!!!” Chris laughed harder as he tried to regain his bearings, “Ah, Okay, I Set that Up bUT I DIDN’T THINK THEY’D FALL FOR IT!!!!!” His laughter was ever joyful as he concluded, “Uh, THIS IS GREAT!”

* * *

* * *

“They’re Stuck!!” Lindsay cried before rushing over, “I’m Coming Guys!”

Luckily, Beth grabbed her and Leshawna stretched out her hand to stop her, “Hold on, Baby Girl! You Stay RIGHT There!”

“Oh CRUD!” Gwen knelt down by the sand and reached her hand towards her lowering friends, “Quick! Give Me Your Hand!”

Trent and Leshawna tried to wiggle themselves towards the Goth with little if any success, before someone called out to them.

“No! Wait!” Cody cried as he joined Gwen, locking eyes with his friends as he spoke slowly, “You Gotta Stop Moving for a Sec, OK?”

Leshawna and Trent looked at each other, uncertain, before nodding and following Cody’s instructions. 

“OK,” Cody turned to the others, “Owen! Can you go get that vine!?” he pointed. Owen nodded and quickly got what the Geek needed; Cody threw out the vine across the sand before handing the other end back to Owen and telling him to “Hold Tight!” 

He turned back to his friends, who were up to their chests in the sand, “Ok, So grab the Vine and DON’T LET GO!” they obliged as he continued, “Alright, Now Lean Back-” He tried to demonstrate, “And Wiggle your Feet, It’ll loosen the Sand so You can Move Again.” The two shared doubtful looks, but followed along nonetheless.

“Hey!” Trent smiled, “Hey I’m Getting Free!” 

“Me Too!” Leshawna cheered.

“Okay! Let’s Hurry This Up!” Heather gestured with her glasses, as she tapped her foot impatiently. 

Gwen glanced back at her with a scowl “Shove It.”

Heather gasped, offended, as Cody looked back at Owen, “Okay, Dude! Pull them Out!”

Owen nodded, as he pulled the rope, all while he held Noah piggy-back-style. Leshawna and Trent were pulled out of the sand, and everyone cheered. 

Trent pulled Cody into a hug, “Thanks, Bro,” he smiled down at him, “You’re a Life-Saver.”

Leshawna ruffled his hair as he laughed, “A Little Hero!”

Cody smiled bashfully as he rubbed his neck, “Aw, Geeze guys-”

“If Everyone’s Ok,” Heather smiled, before turning stern, “Let’s Get a Move On!”

As they continued carefully around the quicksand, Gwen glanced back at Cody with a smile, “How’d you Know All That?”

“Oh! Well,” he started, “You know how Quicksand always shows up in, like, Cartoons? Well I Thought It’d be cool to Know what to Do if I ever ran into Some.”

Gwen laughed, but it wasn’t at him, “No Way!”

Cody joined her laughter, “Haha, Yeah! To Be Honest, It Comes Up WAY Less than You’d Think-”

She rolled her eyes with a chuckle, “No? Really?” 

“I Know, I Guess Cartoons Aren’t Always Accurate-” He joked.

“Wild-” she smiled.

* * *

Time passed as the Bass continued through the jungle, confident in their lead. 

That’s when disaster Struck!

Geoff tumbled suddenly, rolling on the ground and ending up on his back, he cried out in agony, “AHG! I’M DOWN!!!!” He held his leg in pain, but as the camera searched it frantically, nothing was found.

Bridgette rushed over, leaving Eva a little off balance, but the Jock recovered fine, and gently placed the Boat and Dweeb down. Katie and Sadie also dropped their canoe as they rushed over. 

“Geoff!” Bridgette fell by his side as she looked over his frame. 

“This is So UNFAIR!” He called out, “ Why’d this Have to Happen NOW!” WHY!?!” He looked to his team, tears flowing from his face, “You Have To Go On Without Me!”

Courtney nodded and took a step forward, but was stopped when Duncan yanked back on their canoe. She turned back to him and was met with a glare. 

“We Can’t Just, like, Leave You!” Katie grabbed the now sobbing man's arm, “You Need Help!”

“Def!” Sadie held his other arm, “You Could, like, Totally Die of Jungle Foot!”

“Nobody’s Dyin’.” DJ said firmly, as he lifted Geoff bridal style in his arms, “Not On My Watch!” 

* * *

* * *

“I Didn’t Know if I was Gonna MAKE It-” Geoff recounted, choking up, “It was Touch and Go!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

“I’ve Seen Surfers Get Eaten By sharks Before, But this…”Bridgette rubbed her arm as she looked away, growing distressed by the memory, “This Was _Horrific._ “

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

“Honestly, I Didn’t Think there Was Any Hope For him,” Eva explained, “I Thought We Were Gonna Have To Leave Him To Die”.

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Sadie and Katie sat together in the confessional, holding hands in an attempt to console each other. 

“It Was TOTALLY Scary-” Katie remembered, “It Was Hard To Look At!”

“Yeah, Definitely,” Sadie agreed, “If It Wasn’t For DJ taking Charge, I Don’t Know What We Would have done!”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

“The man Just…. Kept Goin’...” DJ recalled, “Dude’s Got Heart.” he declared as he thumped his fist against his chest.

* * *

* * *

  
  


===

DJ marched forward with Geoff in his arms, the blonde trying to compose himself. Duncan and Courtney were now carrying the fallen's canoe, and Tyler lagged behind dragging his and Harold's.

Trent saw the Bass ahead of them and smiled, “Hey, Dudes! We’re Catching Up!”

“Alright!” Leshawna cheered, “Let’s Pick Up The Pace!”

===

Tyler gasped at the approaching Gophers, dropping his canoe in Shock, “Oh No Dudes! They’re Catching Up!”

“What?!” Courtney exclaimed, “We Have To Pick Up the Pace!”

* * *

Due to the Bass’s handicaps, the two teams arrived on the beach at the same time. 

“Ok! So Sadie and I Can TOTALLY Go find Fire Wood!” Katie offered.

Courtney smiled and nodded, “That’d be A Lot of Help!” 

The best friends smiled and ran off, with Bridgette calling after them to, “BE CAREFUL!”

Heather watched the girls, before an idea hatched in her mind.

“Lindsay!” Heather smiled, “Why don’t _We_ Go Look for Wood, Too!” 

“Huh? Okay!” Lindsay followed Heather. Her friend then gestured to Tyler before winking at the blonde. Lindsay stared at her confused, before h\Heather rolled her eyes and just straight up pointed at the boy. There was almost an audible click as Lindsay understood. She nodded, before waving Tyler over as she approached the jungle.

Tyler smiled and walked over, but was scolded by Courtney, “Tyler! Where Do You Think You’re Going?!”

“Uhhh…..” Tyler searched for an excuse, “Jungle?” 

He didn’t wait for her to respond, before jogging off to Lindsay.

“I’ll give you two some Privacy~” Heather smiled, before following Sadie and Katie.

===

“Hey, Ladies~” Heather cooed, catching their attention, “Just a Heads Up, The Narrow Path has, like, A TON of Twigs and Branches and Stuff!”

Katie lit up, “Oh My Gosh! Thank You!”

“That’s Like, So Nice of You!” Sadie added, before the two ran off towards said path. They reflected off of Heathers glasses, before the girl carefully took them off, smirking mischievously. 

She turned to leave the brush, but her ankle got caught in a vine, “Uhg!?” She yanked it out, before stumbling into some more, getting it tangled around her arms, “What?!?!” She looked around before calling out “HELP!!”

===

There was a faint sound heard on the beach, that _ALMOST_ sounded like Heather, but it was mostly ignored. 

The Gophers gathered twigs from the sand and the outskirts of the Jungle. Leshawna walked proudly over to where they were building their fire, before dropping her twigs in shock.

In front of her was Courtney, treating the Bass’ growing flame, “How Did they Do That So Fast?!?” 

Duncan glanced over at Leshawna’s confusion, before flashing his lighter with a smirk. 

Chris watched the kids bellow from his Helicopter, shrugging, “No rule Against Carrying Lighters.” He winked with a finger gun, “Edge: The Killer Bass!” 

  
  


* * *

Sadie and Katie searched the narrow path for firewood.

Well… They meant to…

At the moment the two were walking absentmindedly down the path, chatting. 

“Like, I Feel SO Bad for him!” Katie continued to her friend.

“Right?” Sadie agreed, “Like, Could you IMAGINE getting hurt like that?!” 

“He Could’ve TOTALLY Died if it Wasn’t for DJ!”

“DJ is SO Nice!”

“SO NICE!” 

“OHMYGOSH-” Sadie gasped, before tugging on Katie’s arm, “Kit-Kat, Look!” 

Katie drew her attention to where her friend directed her, finding Brilliant Magenta flowers clustered by the roadside, “Ohmygosh- They’re BEAUTIFUL!”

“I Know, Right!” Sadie smiled, her eye’s not leaving the plant, “These are _TOTALLY_ Fireweed!!!!”

“Wow, That’s _So_ Cool!!” Katie smiled, before faltering and turning to Sadie, “Right?

“It’s like, Super Common in Canada, but, like, it’s also Crazy Pretty!” Sadie explained, “Plus, I’ve, Like, Never Seen it IRL Before!”

“Wow!” Katie exclaimed. 

* * *

Geoff drug himself across the coarse sand to aid his team in building the fire, groaning in pain with every tug. The 2 centimeter long splinter puncturing his calf driving him to agonizing tears. 

Duncan knelt down to his friend, putting a hand on his back, and reaching out with the other, “Hey, Man, I Got it.” the Party boy looked up at the Punk, “You should rest, Dude; You did Enough.” 

Geoff smiled as he handed his fistful of twigs to Duncan, who took them to the fire. As he threw them into the flames he noticed Courtney staring at him, “What?!”

She smiled, “That was Nice of You.”

He rolled his eyes, “Pfft- Whatever, I’m Just Done Listening to His Sobbing-” He explained, as he left to retrieve more wood. Before he could, though, he was taken aback by the Gophers growing fire, “Wha-!?” He gawked, “How’d _You_ Losers Do That So Quickly?!?”

He was answered, more or less, by Cody and Owen, circling the fire with lit sticks, chanting “OOGA CHAKA!! OOGA CHAKA!!!”

  
  


* * *

* * *

“Me and My Grandpa go Camping ALL The Time!” Owen explained, “I’ve Been making Fires, since I was, Like, EIGHT!” He chuckled before looking at the camera distraught, “Don’t Tell My Mom-”

* * *

* * *

As Owen and Cody goofed off, Trent poked life into the flame, laughing at their antics. 

“MAN BUILD FIRE!!!” Owen shouted, chucking his stick into the flames, causing embers to shift out.

“Man Needs To _Calm Down_ ” Leshawna instructed, as she pulled Cody away from the flames, “You’re Gonna Get Somebody Hurt Foolin’ Around like That.” 

Owen looked at the ground apologetically, “Sorry, Leshawna…” 

“Hmph” She looked at Cody, “Shorty, put that Stick down before You Burn Yourself.” 

“Yes, Leshawna…” Cody obliged sadly, as he tossed the stick into the flames, causing embers to once again shift out. Trent flinched, and Leshawna nagged, “Trent, What Are You _Doin’_?!? Don’t Sit So close, You’ll Lose Your Eyebrows!” 

Trent scooched back in the sand, “Sorry, Leshawna…” 

“Wow, I Didn’t Know we Could Bring Our Moms.” Noah commented dryly, as he crouched on the beach, drawing aimless lines into the sand. 

Leshawna scoffed, “I’m Not Actin’ Like a Mom!” She corrected, before continuing, “Now Stop Slouchin’, You’ll Give Yourself a Hunch.”

* * *

* * *

“I’m Just Tryin’ To Look Out for Everybody!” Leshawna protested, “That Ain’t Bein’ a ‘ _Mom_ ’, That’s Bein’ a ‘ _Team Player_ ’ !” She crossed her arms, “Not that that String Bean would Know Anything _About_ That.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

Katie sat on the path, carefully crafting a flower crown out of the surrounding wild flowers, as Sadie explored for more flora just a little ways into the Jungle. She wore an already finished crown upon her head.

“Done!” the darker girl smiled as she carefully placed her crown upon her head. 

Sadie smiled at her friend, “OhMyGosh! You Look SO Cute!”

“Ohmygosh! Thank You!! So Do You!”

“Ohmygosh!” Sadie’s joy didn’t last long before she got struck with a reminder, “Katie! We’re Supposed to Be Doing something!” she exclaimed in a panic.

Katie stared at her, before she too remembered, “OHMYGOSH!!!”

“THE FIREWOOD!” They both exclaimed. 

The two screamed at each other, before quickly gathering as many twigs as they could find. 

In their scramble they felt the ground shake, as a tree fell to the ground, crushing the Fireweeds. The two yelled in fear, wrapping their arms around each other, before turning to the large furry culprits, screaming even louder.

The Bass continued to add wood to their flames, but struggled to catch up to the growing size of the Gophers Fire.

“How are they Better at This Than _Me!”_ Courtney complained, glaring at the enemy’s fire as she tried to build her own.

“Well maybe they Went over this the Same day They talked about Asthma.” Duncan smirked, before twig was flung at his face.

“Shut It.” Courtney commanded.

“Do Not Worry, Fellow Bass, For I Come Bearing a Solution-” Harold approached his team, “WALLAH!” He held up proudly his creation, a wad of something yellow and sticky, with branches poking out.

His team stared at him far more confused than impressed.

Ok, they were Only Confused.

“Ok, I’ll Bite.” Eva began, “What Is It.”

“Isn’t it OBVIOUS,” Harold rolled his eyes, before explaining, “It's a Natural Fire starter, made of Nothing but Tree Sap and Sand!” He puffed his chest out, proudly placing his closed hand on it, “I Mastered it in Muskrat Boys.”

Duncan held back a laugh, before Harold instructed every one to, “Step back- This Material is HIGHLY Volatile.” He explained before sniffling. 

Everyone obliged, hesitantly, before Harold under tossed the wad into the flames. The Fire roared into an explosion, the teens shielding their eyes out of instinct, and gasping in surprise.

Chris flew his Helicopter backwards, just narrowly escaping the highest flames, as he laughed with excitement. “WOO-OO HOO!!!!” He smiled, “We Have Our Fire Building Winner! POINT FOR THE BASS!!!”

The winners cheered, as the losers stared in shock. Just then, Tyler and Lindsay stumbled out of the jungle. As they parted ways, Lindsay waved with a giggle, which received a dopey smile from Tyler. 

Rejoining his team Courtney glared at him, “And where Have _You_ Been?!”

“Uh…” He tried to think up a new excuse, before pointing at the foliage behind him, “Jungle?”

* * *

Courtney approached Bridgette with a smile, before DJ got to her first, “Hey, Bridge,” He grinned, “I was thinkin’, since You’ve got First-Aid Training and all, Maybe you Should Ride with Geoff?” he suggested, “Ya’ Know, Make Sure He’s Ok?” He looked towards his friend with a clandestine wink.

Bridgette looked at the ground in thought, “I Guess that’s a Good Idea…”

“But, Bridgette!” Courtney frowned, “You said _I_ Could Ride back with You-!”

“Courtney, Geoff’s Seriously Wounded!” she explained, “You can Ride with Eva.” 

Courtney’s mouth hung open as she watched Bridgette get in Geoff’s canoe, before getting smacked in the face by an air-born oar, “Hey-”

“Let’s Go, Chicken Wing.” Eva told her.

It didn’t take long for the Bass to get ready to go.

Except for one of them.

DJ took his time nervously stepping into the canoe, as Duncan stood in the knee deep water at the front of the vessel, holding it steady.

“MOVE IT!” Eva commanded from her own canoe.

“I’m Tryin’!” He frowned. “I’m Nervous!”

“C’mon, Man, It’s the same Kinda Boat in the Same Kinda Water.” Geoff coaxed. 

“We’re _Trying_ To Win a _Race_ Here, Boys!” Courtney scolded.

“I’m Sorry!” DJ cried.

“You’re Not Helping', _Princess!”_ Duncan scolded back.

“Back Off, him Guys!” Geoff protested, “The Dude’s Scared of Water!”

“Oh, He’s Gonna be Scared of More than Just _Water-_ IF HE DOESN’T GET INTO THE DUMB BOAT!” Eva hollered, causing waves to radiate from her canoe. 

DJ gulped, and made his way to his seat, but before they took off, Courtney looked around. 

“Wait-! Where’s Sadie and Katie?” Courtney cried.

“I Didn’t See’em Come out of the Woods-” Duncan recounted.

“Oh, No!” Bridgette looked towards the dark jungle in distress.

Harold hopped out of his boat, “Worry Not, Fellow Bass, I Will Rescue our Endangered Teammates!” He then jogged to the woods.

“HAROLD, BE CAREFUL!” Bridgette called after him.

“HURRY UP!” Eva instructed as he disappeared among the foliage.

Leshawna smiled as she watched the dweeb disappear, “Alright Gophers, We’re Still In This!” She cheered, “Let’s MOVE!” 

“Where’th Heather?” Beth searched the beach, before finding her teammate stumble out of the brush. 

“Uhg!” She groaned as she kicked off a vine.

“C’MON, BEAUTY QUEEN!” Leshawna called from her boat, “LET’S WIN THIS!” 

===

“The Gophers are already taking off!” Tyler cried.

“C’MON, HAROLD, CAN’T YOU FIND THOSE BROADS ANY FASTER?!?” Duncan called. 

* * *

“SADIE! KATIE!” Harold called as he checked behind bushes and trees. When he craned his neck around one particular obstacle, he found a small little gray tiki carving. Harold's eyes grew wide in amazement and wonder, as he carefully picked up the treasure, “Cool…” He muttered, before two 80’s themed girls rammed into him, shrieking.

“Ladies?” he asked.

All he got in response, however, was the duo echoing a shrill, “RUN!” before bolting out of the woods. Harold scratched his head in confusion, before looking up and seeing the Wooly Beavers charging towards him. The ginger cried out as he scrambled to his feet, and sprinted back to the others.

* * *

Courtney peered towards the wilderness with worry, “Where _are_ They?”

Just then the Best Friends and Dweeb scrambled out of the forest, screeching for their team to _“GO!!!”_

“Katie! Sadie! You’re Alright!” Courtney cheered as the girls scrambled into their boat, fully ignoring her as they began paddling.

“No Time To Explain!!!!” Harold cried, taking a quick huff of his inhaler, before paddling.

The other Bass shared looks of confusion, before they saw the Beavers bust out of the trees, roaring. The Teens screamed and quickly took the orders of their teammates. 

The Bass, powered by adrenaline, were close behind the Gophers, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.

As the final green boat docked, Chris declared “THE GOPHERS ARE THE WINNERS!!!” 

The Gophers cheered as the Bass hung their heads low. 

Eva growled, whipping toward the Best-Friends and Dweeb, “Where _Were You!?!?!!”_

Harold puffed out his chest in defense, “I Was Looking For Our Lost Teammates!!!”

“We Were Looking For Firewood!” Katie explained.

“We Only got a Teeny Bit Distracted!” Sadie added. 

“Right,” Duncan rolled his eyes, “Nice bouquet .” He spoke bitterly as he pointed at his head.

The Friend looked at each other with a nervous gulp.

“Don’t beat Yourselves up, Too Much Bass!” Chris smiled, “Even Though You did Lose where it Matters- You did Win this, for Building the best Rescue Fire!” He tossed them a book.

Eva caught it and sneered at the title, “ _‘The Many Ways to Successfully and Artistically Prepare Pufferfish.’_ “ She threw the book behind her, hitting Harold in the head, “What Kind Of Lameo Prize Is That!!!?” 

Chris Winked, but he did not answer her question.

Harold held the book in his hands, stunned in awe before uttering a simple, “Cool-”

* * *

Cody stepped out of the cabin with a stretch. He hopped down the stairs when he noticed Gwen at the outskirts of the wood, sketching. 

He slicked his hair back and approached her. 

Plopping down next to her, he gave a Wink “Hey, Gwen~”

She sighed, long and dramatic, in response.

“So-” He began, “I was Thinkin’ you and me Could-”

She interrupted him, “Listen, Cody,” She turned to him “You’re Fun when You’re not Annoying, and almost the Tiniest, Miniscule-est, Microscopic bit Cool.” She explained, “But We’re _Just_ Friends, Understand??”

He opened his mouth but Gwen continued, gesturing between them, “You See This?!? Never Going to Happen. Like, EVER.”

He looked at the ground in thought, before turning back to her, opening his mouth again, before Gwen interrupted him, “ **_EVER._ ** _”_

He stared forward, towards the trees, a thoughtful look on his face, before he turned to the ground and processed this new and completely unforeseen information. Cody then turned to Gwen, with wide questioning eyes, “... Best Friends?”

Gwen stared at him in disbelief for a moment, before she fought back a fond smile. She ultimately lost that fight as she responded, “Good Friends.”

Cody jumped up, throwing his arms in the air as he cheered, “I’LL TAKE IT!!!!” 

Gwen let out a laugh, and the sun set on this beautiful Wawanakwa day.

* * *

The moon rose on another intense Wawanakwa night.

A wolf howl echoed menacingly through the air as Chris looked towards the teens from his podium, “You've all cast Your Votes; the camper who does not receive a Marshmallow must Immediately hit the Dock of Shame grab the Boat of Losers and Get the Heck Out of Here!” He looked sternly at the kids in front of him, “And you _Can’t_ Come Back. _Ever.”_

The teens sat upon their stumps patiently. Duncan sat next to his two friends, giving a stink eye towards Courtney, Sadie and Katie; However Courtney ignored it, giving her own stink eye to Tyler. Bridgette sat with a space between her and Courtney, staring at the ground with a guilty look on her face, while Eva sat next to her, completely unreadable.

“Alright,” Chris began, “The first Marshmallow of the Night goes to-” He smiled, “DJ.”

DJ stood to retrieve his treat, but didn’t make any moves to walk towards Chris.

“Bridgette.”

The surfer also rose, but unlike her predecessor, she approached the podium.

“Harold.”

The dweeb stood proudly, as he retrieved his Marshmallow.

“Geoff.”

DJ’s lack of action was explained, as he reached his arm out for his injured friend, helping the party boy limp towards his reward. The others clapped at Geoff's strength, as he painfully pulled his bandaged leg across the earth and to the podium.

“Duncan.”

The punk got his treat and popped it in his mouth, before sharing fist bumps with DJ and Geoff. The latter of which placed his arm on his shoulder for balance; his other hand was gripping DJ’s arm.

“Eva.”

Eva made little fanfare as she accepted her prize, taking a spot next to Bridgette, who was still staring at the ground with sad eyes. Eva nudged the girl to cheer up, but- Shockingly! It didn’t work, and all Bridgette did was turn away, holding her arm bashfully.

Chris eyed the final four contestants; the three girls sat together, while the lone boy sat off in the far left seat. 

“Courtney.”

She stood proudly, before taking her treat and standing next to Bridgette with a smile. Bridgette didn’t reciprocate however, looking back at the ground, ashamed with crossed arms. Courtney stared at her with shocked confusion, whereas Eva put a calming hand on the surfer’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. An exchange that surprised both of them. 

“Katie.”

The Sweet Girl let out a relieved sigh, along with her Best Friend, but she didn’t rise. She sat next to Sadie, holding her hand and waiting for her name to be called.

Chris looked between the two remaining contestants, as he held the final Marshmallow in his hand.

Sadie and Katie shared a smile with each other, before looking up to Courtney. She smiled back before turning away from the two and shining a confident sneer towards Tyler.

Tyler gulped at the exchange, worried.

Not as worried, perhaps, as Sadie when she felt a certain punks eyes on her.

Tyler pulled at his wrist bands anxiously.

Sadie tightened her grip on Katie's hand.

Both remaining Campers locked eyes with a cold and unfeeling Chris.

Their hearts beat strongly against their chest, drumming to a beat that the likes of Justin, Izzy and Ezekiel may recognize. 

Could they be Next?

One of them Had to be, But who’s Turn was it?

Chris’ lips parted with the answer-

“Tyler.”

Tyler jumped up, and hollered with joy, but Sadie and Katie screamed in terror. 

“NO!” Katie cried, tears pooling in her eyes, “THAT’S _TOTALLY_ NOT _FAIR!!!!!”_

Sadie’s arms were tightly wrapped around her friend, “YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” she sobbed, “I’VE NEVER BEEN _ANYWHERE_ WITHOUT KATIE!!!”

“ W-WE HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!!!!” Katie’s tears ran down her face, causing her makeup to run, “IF-IF WE’RE NOT I’LL TOTALLY _DIE!!!”_

The other Bass watched with varying levels of awkward sadness, except Bridgette who held her face in her hands in shame. 

Sadie pulled her friend away, looking into her eyes as she wiped her tears, “Kit-Kat, Listen To Me,” she cradled her friends face in her hands, “You Can DO This! You Are Kind, And Beautiful and So Totally Strong,” She explained, “You’re The Greatest Person I Know, And You Can WIN This!”

Katie stared at her friend, “B-But I’ll Miss You!!”

Sadie wrapped her arms tightly around her friend, “I’ll Miss You More!”

* * *

Katie laid stretched out on the dock, reaching out to her friend as she sailed away, “I MISS YOU ALREADY!!!” she sobbed.

Sadie stretched as far as she could out of the boat of losers, reaching towards her friend, “I MISS YOU MORE!!!!”

“I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!”

“NOT AS MUCH AS I LOVE YOU!!!!!”

“I LOVE YOU INFINITELY MORE!!!” Katie called out, before waving “BYE!!!!!” 

Whether her friend heard it was unknown, as the boat had already sailed away, taking “The Sweet Girls Best Friend” with it.

Katie sobbed on the dock, as Courtney knelt beside her, putting a gentle hand on her back, “How Could this Happen.” She frowned, “That Should have been 5 Votes for Tyler…” Courtney looked toward the campfire, her eyes landing on a sad Bridgette and a seemingly indifferent Eva, her eyes widening in realization.

  
  


* * *

* * *

Heather smiled at the camera with a cocky grin, “I am SO Running this Game.”

* * *

* * *


End file.
